My Bro Fabio’s Record Victory Margin
To win any race by 14 and a half lengths is an unusual achievement in practically any event; to do it in a major race final is truly phenomenal. My Bro Fabio's victory by that margin in the Group One Hume City Cup is, to the best of my knowledge, certainly the widest (or biggest, whichever term you prefer) of any race ranked at Group One level.
It is, again to the best of my knowledge, the second-widest of any Group event, only surpassed by Oriana's 16-length success in the 1997 Ladies Bracelet at Wentworth Park.
Of course, major race finals featuring a group of runners who have collectively competed with each other to make it through, should not be won by big spaces. When they are, severe interference is generally a key factor in allowing the eventual winner to set up and score by such a wide margin.
Certainly in My Bro Fabio's victory, interference played a role, although the way he had taken the lead with a lap to go suggests he would have scored by a generous space anyway.
After all, back on 14 September My Bro Fabio blitzed the Canberra Cup (Group Three) field by 10 and a half lengths, so he already knows how to win a big race by a big space.
In Oriana's victory, heavy rain and a big measure of trouble at the first corner led to her running around the field from box eight and careering away to win by that massive margin.
Prior to My Bro Fabio's victory, former top Queensland sire Just The Best held second place in the wide margin stakes in Group races, having won the 1999 Vince Curry Memorial Maiden at Ipswich by 14 lengths. Just The Best had won his heat by 18 lengths and semi-final by 19 lengths. It's fair to say those he beat weren't much good at the racing caper.
Gallant Ruler, who won the 1994 National Sprint Championship (now Group One, but not back then) by 12 lengths at Wentworth Park, holds the record winning margin for a greyhound in a major open race.
Among other current Group and Listed Race events which have been won by big margins over the years are the following:
1979 Roy Maidment Memorial (Listed), taken out by Vanadium by 11 lengths over 715 metres at Sandown
1999 National Distance Championship, won by Kobble Creek by 11 lengths over 720 metres at Wentworth Park
1990 Perth Cup, annexed by Sand Pebble (the great Sandi's Me Mum's littermate) by 10 and three-quarter lengths
1975 Laurels Classic, won by Odious by 10 lengths in a track record 30.34 for 513 metres at Sandown
1990 Winter Carnival Cup (then called the XXXX Trophy), won by Highly Blessed by 10 lengths over 558 metres at the Gabba
1997 Dapto Puppy Auction Classic (then simply known as the Dapto Classic), won by Oriana by 10 lengths over 508 metres
1999 Topgun, taken out by Mint Magic by 10 lengths at the Meadows following a major scrimmage at the first turn
2006 Rookie Rebel, which fell to Paua To Burn by 10 lengths, and was the previous widest margin record for a major 600 metre race at the Meadows prior to My Bro Fabio
2005 Sapphire Crown Classic, which also went to Paua To Burn, again by 10 lengths
1991 National Distance Championship, won by Just A Charm by 10 lengths over 704 metres at the Gabba
2005 National Distance Championship, won by Texas Gold by 10 lengths in a new track record time of 42.07 for 720 metres at Wentworth Park
1999 Peter Mosman Memorial, won by Great Wish by 10 lengths
1970 Summer Cup, won by Travel Rev by 10 lengths over 732 metres at Harold Park in a race record 43.0
1988 West Australian Derby, won by Cheatin Charmer by 10 lengths in a race record 30.90 for 530 metres at Cannington
Three Group finals have been won by a margin of nine and three-quarter lengths, these being the 2005 Hobart Thousand, won by Ralph The Mouth; 1998 Peter Mosman Memorial, won by Solve The Puzzle, and 2005 Ballarat Cup, won by Magic Trance.