Christian Cullen (horse)
| Christian Cullen | |
|---|---|
| Breed | Standardbred |
| Sire | In The Pocket |
| Grandsire | Direct Scooter |
| Dam | Pleasant Franco |
| Damsire | Bo Scots Blue Chip |
| Sex | Stallion |
| Foaled | 6 November 1994 |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Color | Bay |
| Breeder | P R Bielby |
| Owner | Ian Dobson |
| Trainer | Brian O'Meara |
| Record | 31:22–2–2 |
| Earnings | $1,249,150 |
| Major wins | |
|
New Zealand Sires Stakes 3yo Final (1997) New Zealand Trotting Cup (1998) New Zealand Free For All Miracle Mile Pace (1998) Treuer Memorial (1998) Auckland Pacing Cup (1998) |
|
| Awards | |
| 4-Year Old Pacer of the Year, Pacer of the Year & Harness Horse of the Year (1998/99) | |
| Honors | |
|
New Zealand Trotting Hall of Fame Leading Standardbred Sire in New Zealand 2005/06 & 2007/08-2010/11 Leading Standardbred Sire in Australia 2010/11 |
|
| Last updated on 2016-02-02 | |
Christian Cullen (foaled 6 November 1994) is a Standardbred stallion and was one of New Zealand's best pacers. Named after the New Zealand international rugby union player, Christian Cullen, he won 22 of his 31 starts, and $NZ1,249,150 in prize money. He is notable in that he won both the Auckland Pacing Cup and New Zealand Trotting Cup races, the richest harness races in New Zealand. A powerful and impressive stallion, he has been particularly successful at stud.
He is best known for his season as a four-year-old in 1998–99, when he won all of his 12 starts, including the New Zealand Trotting Cup, Auckland Cup and the Miracle Mile Pace. This led to him being crowned Horse of the Year in New Zealand. He was retired from racing in February 2000, and has become the leading pacing sire in Australasia, siring the New Zealand Cup winner Mainland Banner among others.
As a two year old Christian Cullen won all of his five starts and $152,465. He won the Welcome Stakes and Sales Series Pace but his season was shortened by injury.
In the 1997–98 season Christian Cullen won 5 of 10 starts with 2 seconds and 1 third and he earned $302,460. In November he won the New Zealand Sires Stakes 3yo Final and then beat older pacers in the $100,000 Round Up 1950 in a 1.58.1 mile rate over 1950 metres with a final 800 metres in 55.9 seconds. Christian Cullen then received an invitation to the Miracle Mile Pace in Sydney but was a late scratching due to a pre-race testing irregularity, however the control fluid was later found to be contaminated. Back in New Zealand he was an unlucky third to Holmes D G in the Great Northern Derby and won the Sales Series Pace but suffered an injury before the New Zealand Derby.
Having recovered from injury Christian Cullen won several races early in the season including the Ashburton Flying Stakes where he beat Iraklis and became favourite for the New Zealand Trotting Cup. He was unofficially timed to have run the final mile of the race in 1:53.5. Christian Cullen then won the New Zealand Cup beating Iraklis with seven lengths to the third placed horse. The time of 4:00.4 equalled the race record. Three days later he won the New Zealand Free For All defeating Holmes D G running his last 800 metres in 54.4 seconds. Invited back to Sydney for the Miracle Mile Pace Christian Cullen won by 20 metres over Tailamade Lombo and Our Sir Vancelot in a mile rate of 1:54.4 for 1760 metres. He then displayed courage to win the Treuer Memorial at Bankstown in track record time. In the Auckland Pacing Cup Christian Cullen cruised home in 3:59.7 for 3200 metres but missed the Victoria Cup in Melbourne after suffering pneumonia. Christian Cullen then won two races at Cambridge Raceway including the Waikato Flying Mile where he won easily in 1:54.2 but did not attempt to break the national mile record due to the closeness of the upcoming Inter Dominion. He won an opening night heat of the Inter Dominion, for which he was even money favourite before the series had even begun, but suffered a leg injury which ended his season.
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