# Battle Heights

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Battle_Heights
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Battle_Heights.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_Heights
> Source revision: 1318914425
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

{{Short description|New Zealand-bred Thoroughbred racehorse}}

{{Multiple issues|
{{More citations needed|date=June 2024}}
{{One source|date=June 2024}}
}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=October 2013}}
{{Infobox racehorse
|horsename= Battle Heights
|image= 
|caption=
|sire= Battle Waggon (GB)
|grandsire= [Never Say Die](/source/Never_Say_Die_(horse)) (USA)
|dam= Wuthering Heights (NZ)
|damsire= Avocat General (IRE)
|sex= [Gelding](/source/Gelding)
|foaled= 1967
|death_date= 1999
|country= New Zealand
|colour= [Brown](/source/Seal_brown_(horse))
|breeder= ...
|owner= 
|trainer= Tim Douglas
|record= 115:23-14-15 
|earnings= A$212,825
|race= [Wellington Cup](/source/Wellington_Cup) (1974)<br>[Trentham Stakes](/source/Trentham_Stakes) (1974)<br>[New Zealand International Stakes](/source/New_Zealand_International_Stakes) (1974)<br>[Sydney Cup](/source/Sydney_Cup) (1974)<br>[Queen Elizabeth Stakes](/source/Queen_Elizabeth_Stakes_(ATC)) (1974)<br>[W S Cox Plate](/source/W_S_Cox_Plate) (1974)<br>[C B Cox Stakes](/source/Ted_Van_Heemst_Stakes) (1974)<br>[Craven Plate](/source/Craven_Plate) (1976)<br>[Metropolitan Handicap](/source/The_Metropolitan_(ATC)) (1976)
|awards= 
|honours= 
|updated= 27 December 2012
}}

'''Battle Heights''' was a notable New Zealand [thoroughbred](/source/thoroughbred) [racehorse](/source/horse).

A son of Battle-Waggon<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.arthritis.com.au/index.php?news_page=185&artid=829&catid=52|title=STARCRAFT AND THAT BATTLE-WAGGON LINE|date=2004-03-04|website=Just Racing}}{{Dead link|date=October 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref> from the mare Wuthering Heights, he was foaled in 1967 and was trained throughout his career by Tim Douglas.

Douglas was a farmer and all-round horseman based in Morrinsville in the north-eastern Waikato province of New Zealand. As well as being a successful racehorse trainer, he was an accomplished polo player and bought Wuthering Heights, a young thoroughbred mare, with the intention of including her in a consignment of polo ponies purchased for the Sultan of Brunei. That plan had to change, however, when it became apparent that Wuthering Heights was pregnant, forcing Douglas to retain her. She subsequently produced a foal whose sire was believed to be a non-thoroughbred stallion, after which Douglas decided to breed from her himself.

Battle Heights was the fourth full thoroughbred foal produced by Wuthering Heights (the previous three, Gold Heights, Monty and Arctic Heights, also became good performers for Douglas). Battle Heights started in 115 races and raced until he was 10 years old when he was forced into retirement after suffering sesamoid injuries in the 1977 [VRC](/source/Victoria_Racing_Club) [LKS Mackinnon Stakes](/source/LKS_Mackinnon_Stakes).

During his career, he raced and won in every season from the age of three until ten, winning 23 times over distances ranging from 1,100m to 3,200m. In New Zealand his wins included the [Wellington Cup](/source/Wellington_Cup), [Trentham Stakes](/source/Trentham_Stakes) and [New Zealand International Stakes](/source/New_Zealand_International_Stakes). That led to several campaigns in Australia, where he won the [Sydney Cup](/source/Sydney_Cup), Queen Elizabeth Stakes, [The Metropolitan (ATC)](/source/The_Metropolitan_(ATC)) and [Craven Stakes](/source/Craven_Stakes) in Sydney; in Melbourne he won the [Cox Plate](/source/Cox_Plate), and in Perth the [CB Cox Stakes](/source/Ted_Van_Heemst_Stakes). His many placings included second in the [Caulfield Cup](/source/Caulfield_Cup).

Battle Heights was awarded the 1974 [New Zealand Horse of the Year](/source/New_Zealand_Horse_of_the_Year) title, while Wuthering Heights received the Broodmare of the Year title.

In the 1974 [Sydney Cup](/source/Sydney_Cup) and [Queen Elizabeth Stakes (ATC)](/source/Queen_Elizabeth_Stakes_(ATC)) he was ridden by New Zealand jockey Gary Willetts, who then decided to establish himself in Australia and became one of the leading jockeys of his era when based in Melbourne, where he still lives.

Battle Heights, known affectionately by the nickname 'Fred', enjoyed a long retirement on the Douglas family farm, where for many years he was the trusty mount of Tim Douglas's wife Elaine. He died at age 32 and is buried on the farm.

==Pedigree==

{{Pedigree
|name = Battle Heights
|f = Battle-Waggon
1962
|m = Wuthering Heights
1956
|ff = [Never Say Die](/source/Never_Say_Die_(horse))
1951
|fm = Carrozza
1954
|mf = Avocat General
1950
|mm = Merry Fox
1938
|fff = [Nasrullah](/source/Nasrullah_(horse))
|ffm = Singing Grass
|fmf = [Dante](/source/Dante_(horse))
|fmm = Calash
|mff = [Court Martial](/source/Court_Martial_(horse))
|mfm = Cinnamon
|mmf = [Foxbridge](/source/Foxbridge)
|mmm = Merry Way
|ffff = [Nearco](/source/Nearco)
|fffm = Mumtaz Begum
|ffmf = [War Admiral](/source/War_Admiral)
|ffmm = Boreale
|fmff = [Nearco](/source/Nearco)
|fmfm = Rosy Legend
|fmmf = [Hyperion](/source/Hyperion_(horse))
|fmmm = Clarence
|mfff = [Fair Trial](/source/Fair_Trial)
|mffm = Instantaneous
|mfmf = Obliterate
|mfmm = Buchna
|mmff = Foxlaw
|mmfm = Bridgemount
|mmmf = Arausio
|mmmm = Merry Jest
|}}

==See also==

* [Thoroughbred racing in New Zealand](/source/Thoroughbred_racing_in_New_Zealand)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Battle Heights}}
Category:1967 racehorse births
Category:Cox Plate winners
Category:Racehorses bred in New Zealand
Category:Racehorses trained in New Zealand
Category:Sydney Cup winners
Category:Thoroughbred family 9-h
Category:Wellington Cup winners

{{racehorse-stub}}

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Battle Heights](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_Heights) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_Heights?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.