Yippyio was once considered a better horse than stablemate Might & Power before cheating death and then becoming a public favourite due to his name and his courage as a racehorse. This is the story of his career.

Chestnut Gelding Born 29th August, 1993
by Interstellar out of Yodells
(for entire race record click here)

After foaling Yippyio Yodells then produced an unnamed foal before foaling Iglesia. Iglesia recently retired to stud in the spring of 2001 after breaking the track record in the 2001 Standish Hcp after previously winning at Group 2 level. Yodells fifth foal was the Caulfield winner Tyrolean while her next foal was the lightly raced 3yo Shantey. Yodells currently has a yearling by Danehill and is in foal to Fusaichi Pegasus.

In August 1996 Yippyio was taken to the country NSW track of Muswellbrook for his first trial and ran 4th of eight with future talented sprinter Notoire taking the runner up position. Three months later he trialled again, this time at Rosehill, to finish third two lengths from the winner. All was ready for his racetrack debut and a fortnight later the big chestnut lined up in a 3yo Hcp at Randwick on the inner track. At 40-1 Yippyio was slowly away but by the post was in front by 3/4 of a length recording a course record for the 1300m journey.

Ten days later he moved up to Saturday class in a 3yo race at his home track of Rosehill. Over 1500m Yippyio ran third to future group one winner Star Covet and Phantasia. Phantasia again had his measure by a half length at Randwick but Yippyio had excuses as he had struck interference as they jumped and was tightened during the race.

His next start heralded the beginning of rise to stardom. Despite being slowly away and blundering near the 800m Yippyio easily defeated Sybeel over a mile at Randwick in record time before cruising home at Rosehill despite suffering interference in the run.

Given a break for three months Yippyio returned with a hard fought victory over giant galloper Holy Roller before heading to Brisbane for the winter carnival. In the Group 2 Queensland Guineas Yippyio pulled hard throughout but still came away to win by five lengths. Taking on the older horses he was 7th in the Doomben Cup beaten just over 2 lengths before returning to 3yo class in the Queensland Derby. After a stirring battle with Marble Halls down the straight Yippyio proved stronger winning by a half length with six lengths to Summer Beau in third place.

Yippyio was then prepared for a tilt at the Melbourne Cup. First up he ran in the Tramway but was unplaced on the heavy track. In the Hill Stakes despite hanging out during the run he finished fourth behind Group 1 winners Ebony Grosve, Alfa and Sharscay. Yippyio then returned to his best in the Craven Plate winning by 3 1/2 lengths from Magic Of Sydney and Kassani with Ebony Grosve fourth. Jocky Jim Cassidy who rode both horses to this point declared that Yippyio was the pick over Might and Power from the yards of father son trainers Jack and Alan Denham.

Yippyio then headed to Melbourne to continue his campaign but disaster struck. On arriving in Melbourne Yippyio became unwell and was diagonosed with travel sickness. An illness that has claimed many horses in the past it looked as though Yippyio may succumb but he fought hard for his life and finally won the battle. While Yippyio was sick Might and Power went on to claim the status as the nation's superstar stayer winning both the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups.

Yippiyo returned to the racetrack in May 1998. He was unplaced but then returned to Randwick two weeks later to win a similar race narrowly from Don Tristram. He was back but connections were not yet sure how much the illness had taken out of him. Many years before Bonecrusher had annihilated his opposition in 1986 then went to Japan and contracted travel sickness. He survived but was never the same horse. Races he would have won easily before illness he fought tooth and nail to scrape home. With Yippyio it was similar though he had returned to the winning lists he just didn't seem the same horse. Spelled for another four months Yippyio was set on a staying campaign for the Melbourne Cup. Unplaced first up Yippyio was second beaten narrowly in the Hill Stakes behind Arena and then was beaten a nose by Sharscay in the Craven Plate. The extra break seemed to have helped and Yippyio headed to Melbourne. After running unplaced in the Caulfield Cup he went straight into the Melbourne Cup but was again unplaced as lightweight mares Jezabeel and Champagne fought the race out. Yippyio again headed to the paddock with a Brisbane campaign planned.

First up Yippyio showed his zest for racing had returned with a fourth beaten less than a length behind in form Dibble's Dane and Final Forcast. He was then third in a Rosehill welter before heading north. Returning to his favourite northern track of Eagle Farm Yippiyo easily won the Listed Ramsey Health Hcp. Next he was a close fifth on a slow track in the Prime Ministers Cup at the Gold Coast behind Cronus.

In the Doomben Cup Yippyio was checked at the 600m before being blocked for a run as Intergaze raced to victory from Lahar with Yippyio just over two lengths away in fifth. After running 6th in the Brisbane Cup Yippyio was given a break before a spring preparation.

He returned with fifth placings in both the Group 3 Bill Ritchie Stakes and the Canberra Cup before heading to Doomben to record a hard fought win in the Lord Mayors Cup. Freshened up he was third in the Queensland Cup before returning to Sydney for the Christmas Cup. Yippyio ran second to in form galloper Pasta Express and then over raced when 9th in the Summer Cup. A week later he backed up in the Tatt's Club Cup to run second before a close 4th at Rosehill. Unplaced on Australia Day Yippyio returned to form with a half head second behind Morphy in the Underwood Cup. Freshened again he ran 4th in the Parramatta Cup and was given a further 5 week break before preparing for a Queensland campaign. After a first up third Yippyio was unplaced in the Chairman's Hcp and Sydney Cup before arriving in Brisbane. He immediately returned to form with a short neck second in the Metropolitan Hcp then third in the PJ O'Shea Stakes only a length from the winner. His final run of the campaign was the Brisbane Cup where Yippyio showed the ability of his younger days streaking away to win easily from Sharscay and Karasi. Filling fourth place was Brew.

On resuming in the spring Yippyio was set for a Cups campaign. Umplaced at his first two starts he proved too good for Pravda and Freemason in the Queens Cup and then headed to Melbourne finishing fourth in the Herbert Power Hcp. He then defeated a field of class stayers in the Moonee Valley Cup with Brew, Cronus and Bohemiath filling the placings behind him. In the Melbourne Cup Yippyio made a sustained run from the back on straightning and it was only Brew under the lightweight of 49kg who he couldn't run down. Under 58kg Yippyio finished 2 lengths away in second with a further 1 1/2 lengths to Second Coming third. He may not have won but Yippyio's legion of fans were proud of the grand campaigner's achievement over a field of 20 other high class stayers.

A spell following with the Brisbane winter his target. After two first up unplaced efforts in Sydney Yippyio returned to Doomben for the Labour Day Cup where the rejuvenated stayer Sky Heights was too good with Yippyio filling second but still four lengths ahead of the third placed horse. A fifth after trouble in running in the Prime Minister's Cup behind Inaflury followed before heading to Eagle Farm. Yippyio prevailed in a close finished in the O'Shea Stakes to win by a long head from Citi Habit with King Keitel third though the race was shrouded in sadness due to a horrific fall near the home turn. In the Brisbane Cup Yippyio was unable to conceed the difference in weight to the placegetters finishing 6th as Star Cover raced away from Citi Habit and Karasi with all placegetters carrying 50.5kg or less to Yippyio's 56kg.

A break before another Melbourne Cup campaign. Unplaced over two short journeys Yippyio was then third in course record time in the Canberra Cup before heading to Melbourne for two runs. In the Moonee Valley Cup he showed his ability was still there in finishing hard as topweight to pass the post in fourth place in company with then Melbourne Cup favourite Big Pat. Despite his known staying ability Yippyio was only given a slight chance in the Melbourne Cup starting at 16/1. The wide barrier and lack of luck in running on the dead track didn't help Yippyio and he passed the post well back as Ethereal was the only runner to make any considerable ground on the front runners just catching Give The Slip in the shadows of the post.

Yippyio was spelled and was in preparation for another autumn campaign when he joined a group of Group one performers to perform in exhibition gallops at the February 9th Rosehill meeting. After completing the course with Gillespie Yippyio stumbled and was quickly pulled up. It was originally thought that he had suffered a severe tendon injury and while his racing days were over that he could be saved for a well earned retirement. Sadly further examination on Sunday morning found that the injury was far worse and that Yippyio had fractured his sesamoid bones and nothing could be done to save him.

Yippiyo raced 59 times for 14 victories and 15 placings earning $2,112,550. He could handle dry tracks and wet tracks but seemed to have trouble with dead rated tracks. He won from distances from 1300m to 3200m and while not ranked among the champions of the turf will be remembered as one of the greatest warriors of the era. He was destined to be one of the best before cheating death and then climbed his way back to be one of the best stayers at Group one level.