When a horse racing enthusiast listens and watches a pre-race preview for a race at almost any race meeting across the globe, there will always be an analyst that will mention how one horse towers above all the others. The camera will focus on that horse, and the viewers will marvel at how much bigger it is compared to its rivals. Of course, that horse will not always win the race but will always be remembered for its sheer size, which would dwarf its rivals.
Who was the Biggest Racehorse Ever – The ‘Monster’ Shinshinto weighs more than one hundred pounds and is known to leave his stable in search of more food. He is widely acknowledged to be the world’s largest racehorse. This colossal six-year-old stands a staggering 18.2 hands from the ground to his shoulder blades or roughly 6ft 1ins. That’s around twelve inches higher than a typical thoroughbred. In contrast, Holy Roller, regarded as the largest racehorse ever before Shinshinto came along, measured 18.1 hands. In contrast, the legendary Frankel is reasonably large at 16.1 hands, whereas the Grand National champion Tiger Roll is just 15.2 hands.
Weighing so much necessitates a diet of equivalent proportions, and, despite being a ‘gentle giant,’ Shinshinto has been known to escape from his stable a few times in pursuit of more food. Trainer Dave Murphy is in charge of maintaining the horse, which has won two of eight races, in peak condition.
Stable Hands refers to Shinshinto as a “monster” and keeping track of how much he eats to be a full-time job, given that he is continually growing. The huge thoroughbred, known to break out from his confinement in a quest to find more food, has also been known to eat the eggs in pigeon nests. Shinshinto was purchased at the Magic Millions of Horses in Training auction in 2018 and is now in training with Murphy in Queensland, Australia.
High Roller – The Biggest Racehorse before Shinshinto
Even his head was estimated to be 7th 8lbs, which was more than the weight of some jockeys. Holy Roller’s foaling document, which served as a horse’s birth certificate, read ‘big’. Despite being passed over by veterinarians because he was too large, Holy Roller had a promising career, winning the G2 Waterford Crystal Mile at Mooney Valley in 1997.
After returning to racing as a healthy four-year-old, he won five of his following eight races. He quickly became renowned as “The Camel” and gathered a cult of devotees. People would gather around his stall on race day to see the enormous man for themselves, and old horseshoes became highly prized collectables.
Roley’s fame rose as his career proceeded. Few horses could match the constant pounding of his massive strides when he got going. Roley climbed from a blank-staring, gurgling infant with no go-power and a ‘dismal future’ to become a Group 2 champion. Unfortunately, just when he seemed to be at the zenith of his career, he sustained a minor suspensory tear two races later.
He was given a year to rest before returning to win one more race, a barrier trial in which he defeated numerous Group One winners. However, an ultrasound later indicated that his rip had recurred and worsened. He was sent to Dr Hoare’s estate for a lovely retirement. With a 25-12-3-0 record, he had earned $320,865 in total prize money.
Shinshinto – Race History
SHINSHINTO
Shinshinto is a thoroughbred horse born in Australia in 2016. Racehorse Shinshinto is by Golden Archer (AUS) out of Triquetra (AUS), trained by David Murphy. Shinshinto form is available here. He is owned by T R Neale, R G Neale, M Harrison, G Layton, P F Mccluskey, M J Edwards, M H Gain, L M Toll, C A Lynn, S W Steele & Miss J K Elder.
Pedigree
| Sire | Golden Archer (AUS) 2008 |
| Dam | Triquetra (AUS) 2009 [By Elusive Quality (USA) 1993] |
About the horse
| Foal Date | 27 Aug 2016 |
| Description | 6yo B Gelding |
| Trainer | David Murphy |
| Owner | T R Neale, R G Neale, M Harrison, G Layton, P F Mccluskey, M J Edwards, M H Gain, L M Toll, C A Lynn, S W Steele & Miss J K Elder |
| Total PM | AUD $96,010 |
| Career | 6 Wins (22%) – 5 Placings (41%) – 27 starts |
| Wins | 800m (1), 900m (1), 1100m (1), 1200m (2), 1400m (1) |
Despite Shinshinto’s size, he performed at his peak over the sprint distances and seemed to run his best races when the going was Soft to Yielding. For such a big long-striding colt, horse racing analysts would have expected a better showing over more ground, but sprinting seemed to be his forte.
As you can see from his Race Performance Radar, his best performances were over the shorter, more sprint distances. His Market Expectation rating always seemed marginally lower than the rating he ran to, which meant that most of the time, the punter who backed him would receive a good run for their money at a value price.
His twenty-seven starts have seen him win six times and five place runs, for a 22% win percentage and 41% place strike rate. His racing career has not been stellar, but definitely above average and if you combine that with his physique, he would attract his fair share of attention when he comes to the Racecourse.
Shinshinto – The Gentle Giant of Horseracing
Shinshinto is considered to be the biggest racehorse ever to grace the Turf. Although he does not have a stellar career in Stakes terms, he has his own story to tell once he retires. His stable will be sad to see him retire, but he will still attract attention because of his unique physique.
Shinshinto! The Gentle Giant of the Turf who stole pigeons’ eggs from their nest because he could.