Kingston Rule dies aged 25

MELBOURNE, Dec 8 AAP - The 1990 Melbourne Cup winner Kingston Rule has died at Ealing Park at Euroa, northeast of Melbourne, his home of 20 years.

Born in the US in 1986, the magnificent chestnut son of the great Secretariat was out of Rose of Kingston who was the 1981-82 Australian Horse of the Year.

Ridden by Darren Beadman, Kingston Rule won the Cup in course record time of 3:16.3 which still stands.

Bred and raced by David Hains and his wife, Kingston Rule was prepared by master trainer Bart Cummings and won four of his 18 starts.

Apart from being one of Cummings' dozen Cup winners, Kingston Rule also won the 1990 Moonee Valley Cup.

The horse was retired to Ealing Park for the 1991 stud season and stood there for 20 years.

He was retired from service in the 2011 season and died on Saturday.

Among the 190 individual winners he sired were two Group One winners - 1997 VRC Oaks winner Kensington Palace and Sheer Kingston, winner of both the 1999 Adelaide and Brisbane Cups.