Popular Alm (1976-2000) was one of the fastest pacers Australia has produced.
By Sovereign Adios from the Truant Hanover mare Direct Design, he was bred by Arthur Pearce and foaled in 1976 at Bendigo, Victoria.
He raced 62 times over seven seasons for 49 wins, seven seconds and three thirds for stake earnings of $710,883. Popular Alm set a world record for a mile time trial at Moonee Valley on 13 May 1983, recording 1:53.2.
Popular Alm made his debut for Pearce as a two-year-old and raced only five times before being sold for $40,000 to clients of Kilmore-based trainer Bob Knight.
Making his debut for Knight in the 1980 South Australian Pacing Derby, he finished second behind fellow Victorian Gammalite. He was injured, sent for a spell and did not race again until August 1980.
Popular Alm then won 15 consecutive races including the 1981 Kilmore Cup. He set a track and Australian record of 1:55.9 at Harold Park in Sydney in winning the Golden Mile. The winning sequence came to an end when he finished second in the 1982 Ballarat Cup off 25 metres.
After an unsuccessful Inter Dominion campaign in Perth, Popular Alm was given a spell before beginning the 1982/83 season when he became Australian Harness Horse of the Year.
During 1982/83 he won his second Kilmore Cup from a 35-metre handicap and the Winfield Cup at Moonee Valley. He then equalled his 1:55.9 track record at Harold Park from the previous year and won three other features in Sydney, including the Bankstown Cup and Harold Park Spring Cup.
In January 1983, he won the Ballarat Cup. In the Miracle Mile at Harold Park he won in 1:57.7 racing outside Gammalite for the last lap. Later in the month he won the A G Hunter Cup in 1:59.4.
At the 1983 Auckland Inter Dominion Popular Alm won a heat and finished second behind Gammalite in the final.
He then won the Marathon at Moonee Valley before winning all three legs of the Tasman Challenge series. His career earnings passed $500,000.
In May, he time trialled at Moonee Valley and ran in mile 1.53.2, a world record by an Australasian bred pacer.
During the season he raced 22 times for 18 wins, one second and one third and was named Australian Harness Horse of the Year.
Early in the 1983/4 season Popular Alm won the Craven Filter Sprint at Albion Park in 1:55.8. He then won six consecutive races at Albion Park setting a new Australian record time for a race mile of 1:54.5.
In Melbourne he won the Winfield Cup for the second time beating Gammalite by 14 metres before suffering a serious injury.
Late in 1984, Popular Alm returned to racing in preparation for Melbourne's 1985 Inter Dominion Championships. Although winning his only two starts he never regained full fitness and was retired to stud.
Driven in his wins by Vin Knight (44), Bob Knight (three) and John Mamouney (two), Popular Alm retired having won 49 races and $710,883.
Watch Popular Alm's 1982 Miracle Mile win:
