‘But the Mornington Cup gives you free entry into the Caulfield Cup, so we will need to sit down and think seriously about it.’
In the back of Darren’s mind was the fact that he had never enjoyed the best of times at Mornington … ‘I just don’t have any luck there; my horses just don’t seem to race well there for some reason.’
Nevertheless, the Mornington Cup was chosen as Prince Of Penzance’s next assignment, with connections looking forward to seeing what he could do stepping up to 2400 metres for the first time.
A big crowd was in attendance, Michael Wilson a bit in awe — ‘How’s this,’ he said to his fellow owners, ‘all these people coming here today to see our horse race!’
The owners took their place in the grandstand. John Richards at the time was having troubles with his eyes and struggled to see. David Wilson sitting next to him described the race: ‘He’s in front, he’s in with a chance.’
However, Prince Of Penzance had again wanted to race a little keenly and this was harder to get away with in a longer race. He had hit the lead, and while others were able to catch him late he fought on strongly to finish fourth, beaten less than a length.
While he was game, connections could not help but feel a little discouraged. His lead up form had been great, he was a short 2–1 favourite. ‘I have never seen Weiry so disappointed,’ Sam Brown recalled, adding that, ‘we hated being favourite; there was so much pressure, so much expectation.’
Another Listed race was next for Prince Of Penzance: the Roy Higgins Quality, run over 2600 metres at Flemington in honour of one of the country’s finest ever jockeys.
Again favourite, Prince Of Penzance sat third-last and ran on well, the winner Cooldini having enjoyed the advantage of being closer up during the running.
A couple of weeks later, Prince Of Penzance was again sore and back to Ballarat, Dr Ian Fulton performing surgery on both front fetlocks, bone chips again the issue.
Another period of recuperation followed and again connections had to wonder if their champ would make it back … and if he did, would he be the same horse?
He did not take long to answer that question.
Chapter Four
The Moonee Valley Cup
Just under six months later several of Prince Of Penzance’s owners journeyed all the way to St Arnaud to watch him compete in a jump-out (Arthur Rickard was so keen to get there after getting lost en-route that he incurred a speeding fine), Darren Lonsdale recording their banter on his phone after the horse had finished off gamely.
‘He travelled really nicely, he is really settling well now,’ Michelle Payne said.
‘But he still looks to be full of himself,’ said John Richards.
‘He is, but once he gets out onto the track he settles down beautifully,’ Michelle replied, adding that for a couple of strides he was left a little flat-footed as the speed went on.
But his final effort was strong — ‘He was flying through the line.’
‘Are you going to ride him in the Melbourne Cup?’ John joked. ‘We will give you an extra twenty bucks for that.’
They laughed about a crack at the Cox Plate as well. ‘That’s a bit greedy,’ Michelle laughed. ‘You might be up for both races,’ said Arthur’s daughter Jenny Monks, ‘but will the horse?’
‘We will find out. It’s all looking good so far.’
A couple of weeks later, Prince Of Penzance battled on gamely to finish eighth in a 1400-metre handicap at Caulfield.
Taking a little longer than usual to come fully to hand, Prince Of Penzance was out of the placings at his next two starts at Flemington and Caulfield, but both races were run at a slow pace, making it hard for horses from back in the field to make up ground.
The Caulfield eighth nearly ten lengths from the winner was, however, a disappointment. Connections stood in the mounting yard for some time after the horses had left. Darren Weir was scratching his head. The replay was watched and analysed, but it gave no answers.
‘It doesn’t matter how many times you watch it, it was a shocker,’ Darren said.
Had injury and surgery taken its toll? Had they seen the best of their horse? Darren was dejected, but not beaten. And a plan was hatched: the horse would race on a track with more cushion.
And so he headed to Gippsland for the 2050 metres of the Moe Cup in mid-October. Darren was running late, rushing into the yard in time to help the strapper apply the horse’s tongue tie (a strip of cloth, often stockings, passed through the mouth to prevent a horse getting his tongue over the bit). Prince Of Penzance, whose interest had been piqued by a session of schooling (jumping) over logs that morning, was keen to go and in the process bit his trainer’s finger.
But any pain felt by Darren was soon forgiven, for it was in that race that Prince Of Penzance showed a glimpse of his true form with the blinkers reapplied. He was up to his old tricks, over-racing, putting his head up. But he was strong to the line, a close second. Dreams were back on track.
The Moonee Valley Cup is not the main race held at Moonee Valley on the last Saturday each October. That honour of course belongs to the W. S. Cox Plate, Australia’s most prestigious weight-for-age contest.
It does, however, well and truly predate the Cox Plate, that race first run in 1922, while the Cup has been contested since 1883. The day was for many years referred to as the Gold Cup meeting, and even when Phar Lap won his first Cox Plate in 1930 the main headlines in the press belonged to Shadow King, who had won the longer race.
And so Prince Of Penzance was partaking in history when taking his place in the 2014 Moonee Valley Cup, run at Group Two level with a value of $250,000.
His owners were thrilled to be a part of one of Australia’s biggest race days, Sam Brown recalling that they were ‘over the moon’.
‘We had been to Cox Plates before, mainly in the public boozing and belting out “The Horses” along with Daryl Braithwaite. Now here we were with a runner. He wasn’t much fancied in betting so we went along feeling no pressure. We just wanted to enjoy the day as we thought it was a once-in-a-lifetime event.’
Not bustled having drawn the outside gate of nine, Prince Of Penzance settled last. It is not the ideal place to be at the tight turning track that is Moonee Valley. Crowding can take place and those out wider enjoy the benefit of the cambered turn.
And so Michelle had to ride for luck.
Though Prince Of Penzance is the sort of horse who makes his own luck. When a tight run presented itself with 400 metres to go, he took it. By the time the field straightened for home he was third, and then he was off and away, saluting by 1 1/4 lengths and giving New Zealanders a reason to be proud as he left a couple of imported gallopers — the German-bred Le Roi and the Irish-bred Au Revoir — in his wake.
Interviewed on horseback by Sam Hyland as she returned to scale, Michelle was delighted. And so proud of her horse’s effort.
‘Geez, it was tight coming around the corner, but he just burst through there and he was flying through the line.
‘The first corner he got a little bit keen, but he began too slowly to ride him forward, which was the original plan. So I just had to go to Plan B, which was to get him to settle. Once he got into the rhythm he was beautiful.
‘I thought I’ll just have to ride for luck now, we can’t go around them and win. It is just fantastic. This is one of my favourite days of racing, I am so happy to be a winner.’
Darren Weir admitted to being a little concerned during the race — ‘I didn’t know what to be thinking but that’s where she rides best, full credit to her. It was a great ride, she was very patient. And the horse was terrific.’
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