Icelander caused a sensation in his only appearance in South Africa, literally dwarfing his rivals and devouring the ground of the long Turffontein straight to win unchallenged under Jeff Lloyd (Picture Supplied)
There are many stand out memories from SA racing’s heyday and one of them would be the day a gigantic import called Icelander made his South African debut at Turffontein 35 years ago this month on September 28, 1991.
This five-year-old entire by Kris out of Graustark mare Oh So Fair was a full-brother to none other than the Triple Crown-winning filly Oh So Sharp, who won the 1000 Guineas, the Epsom Oaks and the St. Leger, and like Oh So Sharp he was trained in the UK by the great Sir Henry Cecil.
He was imported to South Africa by Dr. Hilda Podlas, who took racing by storm and was a twice champion owner.
She was only able to get him because his career had seemingly ended due to continual tendon trouble.
His full form in the UK is hard to find, but Garth Puller, who was Dr Podlas’ racing manager, recalled that after winning on debut over a mile and six furlongs at York, he was used as pacemaker for the Derby favourite next time out.
Garth added that considering his breeding it was strange he was viewed as the pacemaker and the other horse as the stable elect.
Nevertheless, in the straight, when the Derby favourite began his run, Icelander apparently just pulled away from him to win the race comfortably.
The key was his gigantic stride.
Puller said he was once able to measure his stride length.
Dr Podlas had hired the Randjesfontein track for him to have a gallop and at the time it had just been scarified and they had put bright white silicon sand on it.
Garth was thus able to see the hoof marks and he said, “I have never measured a horse with a longer stride.”
Subsequent to his second start in the UK, Icelander had broken down on his one tendon and was sent back to Ireland for a rest, but upon returning and being readied he broke down again and went for another rest, only to come back and break down on the other tendon.
So he was then sold as a twice winner from two starts and imported to South Africa.
Garth recalled that upon arriving here Dr Podlas had him intensively scanned and it was decided to put him into training with Ormond Ferraris.
Garth said, “He had a different set of bandages on everyday and I trotted him around the ambulance track 12 times an afternoon for three months to get those tendons right.”
He was finally entered for a 2000m B Division event at Turffontein, where he was set to carry just 50kg with Jeff Lloyd up.
The Turffontein stands were jampacked on Saturday, September 28, 1991, for no other reason than in the heyday of racing it was jampacked on every Saturday race day.
There was no doubt that Icelander’s appearance was eagerly anticipated too.
However, nobody could have foretold what was to transpire.
I was in the crowd that day and one of my vivid memories was of Icelander cantering past the stands on the way to the start and the huge crowd spontaneously breaking out into laughter. It was not a mocking laugh, but rather one of those shared laughs when people have together witnessed something extraordinary … the sheer size of Icelander and his enormous stride was indeed extraordinary.
His conformation was not lanky like a normal equine giant, but rather he looked like an athlete who was just double the normal size, as the photograph above attests to.
Hence the reaction from the stands.
Puller confirmed, “Trainers on the day said that not since Wolf Power had a horse going down caused their hair to stand on end the way Icelander had made it do that day.”
And yet strangely enough Icelander drifted out to about R7 on the Tote and 6/1 with bookmakers, despite carrying such a light weight in the nine horse field.
Puller was not surprised at the price as he remembered Jeff Lloyd not being confident as he felt the horse was too one-paced.
However, the next unforgettable memory was of Icelander leading them into the straight and the rest of the field literally looking like whippets as his giant stride began devouring the ground.
His massive action pounded the turf and carried him past the cheering crowd to a 3,25 length victory with the opposition, who were literally dwarfed, taking what seemed to be two strides to his one.
Puller recalled being concerned when he appeared to be hanging outward in the first part of he straight and feared he must have been feeling his tendon.
However, once Lloyd straightened him it was race over.
The runner up Eaton Lad won the Gr 1 Gold Bowl in his next start in record time.
Podlas had wanted to enter Icelander in the Gold Bowl, but Puller had told her he would immediately resign if she did so as there was no way his tendons would stand up to that grueling test just two weeks after his reappearance following a two year layoff.
However, the tendons did not stand up anyway and he had to be retired as the winner of three races from three starts.
Hilda Podlas also threw in the towel in about 1994 and Garth believes Icelander consequently did not get the quality or number of mares he deserved at stud.
He reportedly only had 132 foals, 96 runners and 36 winners and two stakes winners.
His stakes winners were Boston Blues (out of Nothern Guest mare Floreal), who won the Gr 2 Racing Association Handicap over 2850m at Newmarket, and Icelandic Run (out of Silver Strike by Straight Strike), who won the Listed Winter Derby over 2400m at Kenilworth.
He was the broodmare sire of Jet Explorer (Jet Master-Polar Star), who won the Gr 2 Betting World 1900 and finished a 1,55 length third in the Gr 1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate.
Icelander passed away at Yellow Star Stud in 2015.
