A chestnut son of the Hyperion stallion Red Mars from the mare Myarion he is considered one of the finest horses not to win a Melbourne Cup, despite three attempts.
Originally trained by Syd Brown in New Zealand he was transferred to the stables of Tommy Smith in Australia as a late five-year-old.
It was in the care of Tommy Smith that he realised his huge potential.
Perhaps his greatest effort was when he ran second in the 1956 Melbourne Cup to the quality staying mare Evening Peal.
As Redcraze usually raced at the tail of the field he produced a big finish, coming from the rear and just failing to win by a half-neck.