Vintage Crop

Vintage Crop (1 March 1987 – 14 July 2014) was a British-bred Irish-trained Thoroughbred racehorse best known for becoming the first overseas runner to win Australia's premier race the Melbourne Cup. The chestnut gelding competed in flat racing in Ireland, England, and Australia from 1992 to 1995. He won 16 races in Ireland, England, and Australia. For his performance during the 1993 racing season he earned the Cartier Award for Top Stayer.

Vintage Crop also won international fame in 1993 by becoming the first overseas-trained horse to win the Melbourne Cup. He is commemorated by a statue in the Curragh Racecourse. He returned to Australia for the 1994 and 1995 Melbourne Cups, where he finished seventh and third, respectively.

Vintage Crop was trained by Dermot Weld, who returned to Australia in 2002 and again won the Melbourne Cup with the Irish horse Media Puzzle.

Background

Vintage Crop was a chestnut gelding with a white star and three white socks bred in the United Kingdom by Bertram and Diana Firestone. He was from the first crop of foals sired by Rousillon an American stallion who raced in Europe, winning the Queen Anne Stakes, Sussex Stakes and Prix du Moulin in 1985. The best of his other offspring included the double Eddie Read Handicap winner Fastness and the Challenge Stakes winner Sally Rous. Vintage Crop's dam Overplay won two minor races and finished third in the Ribblesdale Stakes in 1981. Vintage Crop entered the ownership of Michael Smurfit and was sent into training with Dermot Weld at the Curragh.