Light Fingers - By: K Cummings

During her short racing career, Light Fingers won many feature races and was known as one of the most versatile horses, willing to travel any distance.

New Zealand bred, Light Fingers, was a thoroughbred racehorse whose formidable partnership with jockey Roy Higgins is among the most successful in Australian racing history. The chestnut filly was from Cuddlesome by Red Mars. Originally named Close Embrace, the filly's name was changed by the Australian registration authorities. Trainer Bart Cummings wasn't successful at purchasing the filly in New Zealand, but managed to lease her. Light Fingers won the first of the trainer's 12 Melbourne Cups in 1965 and went on to carry the greatest weight to victory by a mare.

A versatile horse, Light Finger had the capacity to win over 1000 m and the ability to cover the distance of 3200 m strongly. Fondly nicknamed 'Mum' by Roy Higgins, their Melbourne Cup victory over stable-mate Ziema is one race that Higgins always rates as one of his best, especially after his unsuccessful riding stint in Europe. For the Melbourne Cup, strength and power are vital ingredients both horse and jockey must possess, which are what Light Fingers and Roy Higgins both had. Light Fingers went into the race with a virus with vet Percy Sykes giving her a cortisone injection in her sacroiliac. Higgins kept Light Fingers in the top half of the field using Ziema as a pacemaker, taking the home turn in fifth place. By the 300 m mark, Ziema was the only challenge when Higgins used the whip; a decision which he admits hurt him more than it hurt Light Fingers.

Despite the big-striding Zeima taking more than two lengths off Light Fingers in the last 100 m, he was unable to match up to her strength, losing by a short half head. The Cup also brought Light Fingers connections $62,000 in prize-money. According to Higgins, Light Finger 'gave it all she had'. The next year in the Melbourne Cup, the duo ran a gallant second to stable-mate, Galilee.

Light Fingers went on to win many feature races including the VRC Oaks from Lyralla in 1964 and the AJC Oaks. In the same year, she also won the Wakeful Stakes and the Edward Manifold Stakes. In 1965, the Sandown Guineas and Craiglee Stakes, the 1966 Sandown Cup, and the 1968 St. George Stakes were among her notable feature wins.

In honour of the champion chestnut mare, the Light Fingers Stakes, a Group 2 Australian thoroughbred horse race, is held at the Randwick Racecourse in Sydney in February every year. The 1200 m race is for 3-year-old fillies.

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