"The great mare Empire Rose in front!"

Empire Rose was was the great chestnut mare who was big in both size and heart, as her gallant victory in the 1988 Melbourne Cup was the first mare to win in 23 years. When trained by renowned late horseman Laurie Laxon, she was the star of the Cup Carnival that year defeating horses such as Vo Rogue and Sky Chase in the Mackinnon Stakes to three days later defeating a determined Natski in the great race. The mare by Sir Tristram was ridden by a young Tony Allan who was still a teenager at the time. Together the pair also won the 1987 New Zealand Cup, 1989 Trentham Stakes and ran third in the Cox Plate that same year.