Courage Under Fire (horse)

Courage Under Fire (1 August 1995 – 29 July 2017) was a New Zealand-bred champion Standardbred race horse notable for being undefeated in his first 24 race starts. A diminutive horse, he was known as Mighty Mouse.[2]

Courage Under Fire
BreedStandardbred
SireIn The Pocket
GrandsireDirect Scooter
DamAdvance Debra
DamsireVance Hanover
SexStallion
Foaled1 August 1996[1]
Died29 July 2017
CountryNew Zealand
ColourBlack
BreederNJ&OW Cockcroft, PM Inkpen
OwnerGreg Brodie
Record56:41-4-0
Earnings$1,485,629
Major wins
New Zealand Sires Stakes 2yo Final (1998)
New Zealand Sires Stakes 3yo Final (1998)
Great Northern Derby (1998)
New Zealand Derby (1999)
Victoria Derby (1999)
Australian Derby (1999)
New South Wales Derby (1999)
Queensland Derby (1999)
South Australian Cup (2001)
Queensland Pacing Championship (2001)
Australian Pacing Championship (2001)
Awards
New Zealand 2-Year Old Pacer of the Year (1998)
New Zealand 3-Year Old Pacer of the Year (1999)
New Zealand 4-Year Old Pacer of the Year (2000)
Australian 3-Year Old Pacer of the Year (1999)
Honours
New Zealand Harness Racing Hall of Fame

Racing

Courage Under Fire was undefeated in both his two and three year old seasons of racing. As a three year old he won a record six derbies.[1] In the Australian Derby at Moonee Valley he broke the track record defeating local star Shakamaker.[3]

As an older horse Courage Under Fire was defeated for the first time in a heat of the 2000 Inter Dominion Pacing Championship after winning his first 24 races. After the 2000 Inter Dominion he was relocated from the New Zealand stables of Bruce Negus to Australian trainer Brian Hancock however his career plateaued.[4] He later won the South Australian Cup, Queensland Pacing Championship and Australian Pacing Championship. He was narrowly beaten in the Miracle Mile and Victoria Cup[5] and he won six heats of the Inter Dominion Pacing Championship[6] and was fourth in the final in 2001.[7] In the South Australian Cup at Globe Derby Park in 2001 he set a track record that stood until broken by his son Smolda in 2017.[8] A popular horse, large crowds often surrounded his stall for a glimpse.[3]

Courage Under Fire won 41 of 56 starts and earned $NZ1,551,941 in stakes.[5] At stud he sired more than 400 winners in New Zealand and more than 300 winners in Australia including Inter Dominion winner Smolda and was expected to serve a full book of mares in the 2017–18 breeding season.[4] He died at Yirribee Stud near Wagga Wagga, New South Wales after being purchased by Yirribee in July 2017.[9]

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See also

References
  1. "Courage Under Fire passes away". The New Zealand Herald. 30 July 2017. Retrieved 24 February 2020.
  2. Courage Under Fire dies aged 21, Wide World of Sports, Retrieved 3 August 2017
  3. Addington Hall of Fame, www.hof.co.nz
  4. Alexy's win fitting tribute, Otago Daily Times, 31 July 2017
  5. Vale Courage Under Fire, Harness Racing Australia, Retrieved 3 August 2017
  6. Inter Dominion Championship – Stars and Stats, Harness Racing Australia
  7. Devastating end to modern day great, www.harnessnews.com.au, Retrieved 6 August 2017
  8. Son breaks Dad’s SA Cup record, www.harnessnews.com, Retrieved 3 August 2017
  9. Thank you Courage Under Fire, Alabar Farms, Retrieved 3 August 2017
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