Racing: Sky Heights was 'special'

Cindy Alderson described 1999 Caulfield Cup winner Sky Heights, who had to be destroyed on Wednesday, as a special horse.

"He won four group ones including the AJC Derby and Caulfield Cup which are pretty special races on the calendar," said Alderson of the Zabeel gelding, who was prepared by her father, Colin Alderson.

"He was a special horse, probably not even for his galloping ability but he was just such a tough on-pacer.

"He was a real warrior."

As a 3-year-old, Sky Heights was runner-up to Arena in the 1998 Victoria Derby but in the autumn won the Rosehill Guineas and AJC Australian Derby.

During the spring of 1999 as a 4-year-old, he won the Craiglee Stakes, Turnbull Stakes and headed a Caulfield Cup trifecta for his sire Zabeel. Labeel and Inaflury filled the minor placings.

Two years after winning his first Caulfield Cup, he was beaten a nose by Ethereal in the 2400m feature.

He started favourite in both the 1999 and 2001 Melbourne Cups, finishing 17th at 7-2 to Rogan Josh and eighth at 5-1 to Ethereal.

He also finished third behind Sunline and Tie The Knot in the 1999 Cox Plate. He spent more than a year at Living Legends with several other retired champion racehorses.

The 15-year-old Zabeel gelding, who had been struggling with the hoof disease laminitis, spent his last years at the Alderson family's Cranbourne property.

Sky Heights won 11 of his 42 starts, including nine group races, and A$4,212,990 in prizemoney.

- AAP