The Assyrian (horse)

The Assyrian was an Australian bred Thoroughbred racehorse owned and trained by J. E. Savill that won the 1882 Melbourne Cup being ridden by Charles Hutchins,^[1] possibly a reference to the Assyrian people of Mesopotamia. She was a half sister of The Israelite, both being daughters of the famous mare Tinfinder.

The Assyrian, originally named Rothschild, was bred in the Turretfield stud of Richard Holland by the imported horse Countryman, from Tinfinder. As Rothschild, he won the SAJC Derby^[2] in 1880.^[3]

In the final stages of the 1882 Melbourne Cup, The Assyrian drew clear to defeat Stockwell by half a length, and send the heavily backed Gudarz into third place.^[4] The Assyrian also won the 1883 Hobart Cup, becoming the only horse to win both the Melbourne Cup and the Hobart Cup for almost 89 years until being joined by Piping Lane in 1972,^[5] with the currently two remaining alone in the achievement.