Sister Olive won the 1921 Melbourne Cup

Sister Olive was a three-year-old filly when she won the Melbourne Cup back in 1921.
Jer jockey Teddy O’Sullivan guided her home in a time of three minutes 27.75 seconds.
Nine years later the Cup was won in exactly the same time, the horse – Phar Lap.
This Saturday (Dec. 15) sees the running of the Sister Olive Handicap, over 3000 metres, at the Yea Picnic Races.
The local connection is that Sister Olive was trained at Molesworth.
Sister Olive was originally trained by Jack Williams to be a sprinter, but it wasn’t until jockey O’Sullivan took her out for a test that her true potential was discovered.
After running her, O’Sullivan informed Williams he was training Sister Olive for the wrong races. According to O’Sullivan she was a natural stayer.
At the 1921 Melbourne Cup, Sister Olive began the race approaching the leading group of three and O’Sullivan nursed her through all the way.
As the 16/1 chance raced around the bend for home, O’Sullivan urged the filly along to gain three lengths over Amazonia and win the race.
She raced home in a time of three minutes 27.75 seconds.
The Argus newspaper reported on the betting on the 1921 Melbourne Cup with the headline: ‘Olive! You Beauty!’
“There were several score of men on the course who were delighted with Sister Olive’s victory.
“They were the bookmakers.
“Not for a number of years had such a long-priced competitor won the Melbourne Cup, and they celebrated accordingly, by cheering-, yelling, throwing their hats, in the air. and waltzing around with one another on the. grass. .
“During the race, however, they were the most unconcerned Iot of people on the c ourse. A win for any one of the favourites meant paying out a/small fortune.”
The Argus had described the lead-up to the race: “It was a sweltering day; a day of low visibility, and drops of rain were on the footpaths as early as 8 o’clock in the morning. “From that moment it was known that the day was not to be a riot of colour. The more courageous of the women wore their favour ite colours, but they had a second string in a raincoat.
“But alas! In many ca ses the ust coat, light, and in harmony with the costume, had to serve as a raincoat. “It was a flimsy creation which held the dust, and the dust held tbe moisture.
“At ten minutes to 2 o’clock there was a large quantity of dust at Flemington apart from that which was on tlie ground. And then the rain
came, not heavily, but in large drops which might have boen, dodged if people .had not rushed for cover.”
Press correspondent ‘Booklyn’ wrote: “People flock to Flemington on the first Tuesday in November each year to see the Melbourne Cup decided.
“The event is recognised as Australia’s most important race and usually the pick of the horses likely to run out a strenuous two miles compete.
“This year the race was still looked upon as a great event, but added interest was given to it because
a Western Australian-owned horse,
Eurythmic, had been set the task of
equalling Carbine’s record established 31 years ago, and among the great throng were many people from the Western State.
“Like thousands of others they had worked themselves up to an unusual state of excitement and expectation. “Could it be possible that another
Carbine had arisen? Would Eurythmic perform the almost impossible task?
“The doings of Carbine and Eurythmic have been discussed in every detail, and from all aspects the general consensus of opinion was that if Eurythmic succeeded he would not be Carbine’s equal but his superior.
“A whisper goes round the course that Dempsey, who has ridden Eurythmic in all his races since the champion left Western Australia, would be.unable to ride. What a pity! Dempsey knew all the peculiarities of the horse.
“W. H. McLachlan, who has rid
den in many Melbourne Cups, and has won three of them, is to have the mount.
“The.time draws near. Never has a racecourse crowd so anxiously awaited a Melbourne Cup.
“Here comes the champion, for if he wins or loses he is Australia’s champion to-day.
“The genuine cheers as the handsome chestnut steps on to the track are good to listen to, and one realises that racing is the salt of life to many.
“Different in colour, but in markings somewhat similar to Carbine, maybe a heritage from his great relative, Eurythmic leisurely makes his way down the straight, his massive shoulders showing tremendous power.
“Then McLachlan wheels him round and in a second wonderful action is brought into play.
“There is the movement of the greyhound on a bigger scale. It is a free and easy gait and the well developed muscles work with fascinating regularity.
“He quickens his pace, and a great driving force comes into action as if some unseen piston rod is propelling the whole.
“He strides along with apparently a featherweight in the saddle, but before the end of the journey those 145 pounds will not be such a light burden.
“Good to look upon and fit to race for a kingdom this is the Eurythmic who came into the racing world and
proved himself a peer among his kind.
“This is the great horse that many times has taught a large section of the com munity of the Commonwealth, just as the boys from the Swan River and our footballers did recently, and ·just as others will surely do, that Western Australia must be reckoned with in sport and pastimes as in other things.
“Once before in 1905 a Western Australian owned horse won the Melbourne Cup, but he did not have the burden of 10.5 on his back.
“Weight will tell, but every one with the instincts of a sportsman hopes that the champion will have a good passage and will win or fail on his merits.
“His opponents, a good looking, well trained lot of thoroughbreds, have made theirway to the post. The suspense is almost unbearable.
“One turns to look at the scene. Every seat in the grandstands and other places of vantage are occu- pied.
“The spacious lawns are black with people. What a densely packed
crowd. Among them are several poor, helpless creatures in their cots. “Yes, there was a war, but to-day we must forget such things. After all, the great clash of arms twas only a passing cog in the wheel of time.
“The weather is anxiously watched, for it is cloudy, close and warm. Just before the third race some light rain falls and a few minutes prior to the Cup there is a clap of thunder and up go umbrellas.
“But it is nothing. The roar in the
vicinity of the betting ring has almost
ceased, and a strange quietness reigns.
“All eyes are turned in the one direction, watching the riders of 25 horses lining them up at the barrier. Where is the favourite? There he is, about seventh from the rails. He is skittish.
“Up go the ropes and at the same instant there is a cry, “Eurythmic is away badly.” And so he was.
“Passing the stand, however, he was in a much better position than he was last year, when he was half turned round when the barrier rose. “Racing in the middle of the field he is still nicely placed. Six furlongs from home lightly weighted horses have, and are still, making the tasks of the heavy weights more difficult.
“At the home turn Eurythmic is within striking distance, going well with in himself, and looking all over a winner, for we all know his great pace. Some thing has happened. “The favourite; look at him!”
“In a second he has dropped out of the race, and the well bred filly Sister Olive has won, the Cup for Mr. F. W. Norman, one of the most
popular members of the Victorian Club.
“One wonders what his feelings are to win the Melbourne Cup.
“Yes, Mr. Norman is a supremely happy man.”
Writer ‘Cardigan’ in The Arrow noted: “Sister Olive’s Melbourne Cup win only goes to again demonstrate that a fair staying three-year-old is a hard nut to crack in the big Flemington race.
“They have the pull in the weights over the older horses, and it is marvellous what difference a few pounds makes at the end of a fast run two miles race.
“Strictly on form it was hard to stand Sister Olive, as although I selected her in these columns last week as the best of the outsiders, I could not by any stretch of imagination see her beating Purser, and that was the general opinion of those that saw the Caulfield Cup.
“In that race Purser finished better than her, and was meeting her on much the same terms. However, she has evidently improved with racing, and is a genuine stayer, whereas Purser found the last furlong too much.
“To look at Sister Olive is a very nice mare, being a chestnut somewhat after the same color as Richmond Main, and has a white face and hind leg.
“She is not massive, but is a medium-sized filly, thickly set, and next year should be a very fine mare.
“Her owner, Mr. Fred Norman, is an enthusiastic owner, breeder and punter, and his success would be very popular amongst Melbourne sporting men, as he is a prominent member of the Victorian Club, and takes an active interest in the affairs of that body.
“He bred Sister Olive himself, and owns her sire, Red Dennis, whom racegoers in Sydney will remember as being a member of W. Kelso’s team not many years ago.”
Bluebloods.com says: “Red Dennis was one of so many imported horses to race in Australia during and immediately after the Great War and in a brief career on Australian tracks the son of the very good sire (but poor racehorse), Tredennis, won the valuable Australia Day Cup at the old Williamstown course.
“The filly’s dam, Jubilee Queen, was equine royalty, being by the excellent stallion Positano (the sire of four Melbourne Cup winners) from the imported mare Tragedy Queen, the dam of the 1910 Cup winner and champion sire, Comedy King.
“When retired to stud Sister Olive would continue the female line excellence as the dam of the star miler Manolive and fourth dam of the Hall of Famer Tobin Bronze.”
The Age newspaper reported: “Residents of Yea were delighted when the news came to hand that the locally bred mare Sister Olive had won the Melbourne Cup.
“Red Dennis, her sire, for several years has been on Mr. Norman’s Yea property, the Clarendon Stud Farm, were greatly interested in Sister Olive’s prospects.”
Mr Norman had raced a number of horses with the prefix “Sister’, believing it was lucky for him. These included Sister Flo and Sister Patience. ‘Olive’ was named after his daughter Olive.
The Standard said: “Nearly all the Alexandra “punters” had their money on the “also rans”.”