Wonder Race: Who will win the battle to be crowned Australia’s greatest racehorse?

The “Toowoomba Tornado” Bernborough was a phenomenon, while the “Big O” Octagonal brought crowds to their feet with his late surges and amazing will to win. How will they fare in the Wonder Race? WATCH THE VIDEO

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Bernborough ($11) and Octagonal ($15) might have been rated at double-figure odds for The Wonder Race but they are among the best and most popular champions of any era.

The “Toowoomba Tornado” Bernborough was a phenomenon. He was lost to mainstream racing for four years due to an ownership dispute. He raced only at Toowoomba winning 11 of his first 19 starts.

But Bernborough was eventually sold and transferred to the Sydney stables of Harry Plant. He ran fourth in a Canterbury Flying then went on a famous 15-race winning streak that included nine Group 1 wins.

Field for The Wonder Race. Who would you back in the big race?

Bernborough was remarkable for his last-to-first finishing bursts and his ability to carry weights. He shouldered 68.5kg to win the 1946 Doomben Cup which remains a record weight for an Australian Group 1 race.

Octagonal, or the “Big O” as he became known, was trained by John Hawkes and was a champion in every season he raced.

A Group 1 winner at two, Octagonal was emerged as a superstar during his three-year-old season in 1995-96 when he won the Cox Plate in the spring then four successive Group 1 races in autumn – Canterbury Guineas, Rosehill Guineas, Tancred Stakes and AJC Australian Derby.

Octagonal - What you need to know

Bernborough - What you need to know

Octagonal returned the following season to win the Chipping Norton Stakes, Australian Cup and Tancred Stakes, retiring with 10 Group 1 wins. At stud, he sired Lonhro, another starter in The Wonder Race.

The Daily Telegraph has created The Wonder Race to try and determine who is the greatest racehorse of them all.

A reader poll has been set-up on Twitter where using the #TheWonderRace you can have your say on who might win.

Over the next few days, revered racecaller John Tapp and myself will discuss the merits of each of the 12 runners at www.dailytelegraph.com.au.

Then on Wednesday, April 10, just three days before Winx’s farewell race, the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Tapp will call a simulated race of the 12 greats in The Wonder Race at 12.30pm which can be viewed live at www.dailytelegraph.com.au.