Vintage Crop

Vintage Crop began his racing career by winning a two-mile flat race at Thurles Racecourse in October 1991 and was then campaigned in National Hunt races, winning two novice hurdle in December. He returned to the flat in 1992, winning handicap races at Gowran Park and Tralee and finishing fifth to Mashaallah when moved up in class for the Group One Irish St. Leger at the Curragh Racecourse. In October he was sent to England to contest the Cesarewitch Handicap over two and a quarter miles at Newmarket Racecourse. Carrying a weight of 132 pounds he took the lead a quarter of a mile from the finish and drew away to win by eight lengths.[6]

In 1993, Vintage Crop made a brief return to hurdling to finish sixth to Granville Again in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham Racecourse before being aimed at long distance races on the flat. He won a minor race at Leopardstown Racecourse and the Listed Curragh Cup as well as being placed in the Saval Beg Stakes and the Meld Stakes and finishing sixth in the Ascot Gold Cup. On 18 September, the gelding ran for the second time in the Irish St Leger and started at odds of 9/2 against a field which included Drum Taps and Snurge. Ridden by Mick Kinane, he took the lead approaching the final quarter-mile and won by two and a half lengths from Assessor.[7] Vintage Crop was then sent to Australia in an attempt to become the first foreign-trained horse to win the Melbourne Cup. Ridden again by Kinane, the Irish gelding produced a strong run in the straight to overtake Te Akau Nick in the closing stages and win going away by three lengths. The unplaced horses included Subzero, The Phantom and Drum Taps.

In 1994 Vintage Crop won the Saval Beg Stakes and finished three-quarters of a length second to Arcadian Heights in the Ascot Gold Cup. After finishing second in the Curragh Cup and winning a minor race at the Curragh, he started 7/4 favourite for the Irish St Leger in September. He took the race for the second time, beating Rayseka by three lengths with the British challenger Bob's Return in fifth.[8] In the 1994 Melbourne Cup, Vintage Crop carried top weight and finished seventh of the twenty-four runners behind the Australian trained Jeune.

As an eight-year-old, Vintage Crop won a minor race at Leopardstown, finished fourth to Double Trigger in the Ascot Gold Cup and then won the Curragh Cup for the second time. He then won the Listed Ballycullen Stakes before finishing fourth behind Strategic Choice, Moonax and Oscar Schindler in the Irish St. Leger. On his final racecourse appearance, Vintage Crop finished third behind Doriemus and Nothin' Leica Dane in the 1995 Melbourne Cup.