Mr Lomondy penalised

Press, 20 October 1986, Page 35

Mr Lomondy penalised

NZPA-AAP Melbourne Impressive Caulfield Cup winner Mr Lomondy has been penalised two kilograms for the Melbourne Cup (3200 m to be run at' Flemington on November 4.

Victoria Racing Club handicapper Mr Jim Bowler announced the penalty yesterday. Mr Lomondy carried 53.5 kilos to an easy Caulfield Cup victory over At Talaq and is now top weight for the Melbourne Cup with 56.5 kilos. Mr Lomondy has been installed as a clear-cut 4-1 favourite for the 3200 metre classic.

Mr Bowler said Mr Lomondy’s win was “as impressive a Melbourne Cup trial as you would see,” and he compared the six-year-old bay gelding favourably with the 1982 Caulfield-Melbourne Cup winner Gurner’s Lane.

“There is a degree of similarity with Gurner’s Lane,” said Mr Bowler. “Like Mr Lomondy, Gurner’s Lane won the Caulfield Cup convincingly. He then went on to beat a champion (Kingston Town) narrowly in the Melbourne Cup with 56 kilos.

"The race was winnable for Gurner’s Lane and I think the same applies for Mr Lomondy.” Gurner’s Lane won the double as a four-year-old. He carried the same weight as Mr Lomondy (53.5 kg) to victory in his five length win oyer Gala Mascot in the caulfield

Cup. Mr Bowler gave Gurner’s Lane a three kilo penalty for his Caulfield Cup win.

Gurner’s Lane carried 2.5 kg more than his Caulfield Cup weight to win the Melbourne Cup by a neck, while Mr Lomondy goes up 3 kg. Mr Lomondy won the Adelaide Cup (3200 m with 51.5 kg last May and the proven two miler was looked upon as a much better Melbourne Cup chance.

He started at 33-1 on Saturday and before his Caulfield Cup win was rated at 8-1 and 10-1 with bookmakers for the Melbourne Cup. Meanwhile another New Zealand stayer Run For Cover, who won the City Tattersails Club Cup (2400 m at Randwick yesterday, has been penalised a kilo to 49.5 kilos in the Cup.

Mr Lomondy, ridden by the former top New Zealand jockey, David Walsh, who is now based in Perth, showed surprising dash to race in the first three all the way after beginning well from barrier two.

The gelding dashed to the lead on home turn and raced right away .to beat At Talaq (10-1), whic was beautifully ridden by Michael Clarke.

Our Sophia (33-1) ran on strongly to finish third just ahead of the colt Tristram (20-1) and Periscope (15-1). Mr Lomondy is prepared by Noel at Awapuni who has the

gelding stabled with Ballarat trainer Pat Payne. The 55-year-old trainer, who has been preparing horses , for 25 years, said that Mr Lomondy’s main mission had always been the Melbourne Cup and he was looking at the Caulfield Cup as a good lead-up race.

“We were not confident but to win the race is a lovely big bonus,” he said.

Eales said that Mr Lomondy was “most likely” to take on outstanding gallopers Bonecrusher and Waverley Star in the weight-for-age sAust7so,ooo W. S. Cox Plate (2040 m at Moonee Valley on Saturday.

He also declared the gelding a definite runner in the sAustl 00,000 L. K. S. Mackinnon Stakes (2000 m three days before the Melbourne Cup. In the sAustlso,ooo Thousand Guineas (1600 m what was tipped to be a battle between New Zealand galloper Society Bay, and Sydney filly Bounding Away, failed to eventuate. Magic Flute took the honours in a race run at a blistering pace.

The Sydney filly, ridden by New Zealand jockey, Jim Cassidy, completed the distance in 1:36.1, only 0.4 s outside the course record.

Society Bay, the 10-9 favourite, kicked two lengths clear just after the turn for home, but ran out of steam to finish fourth.

Bounding Away, which also faded and managed to finish only sixth.