1000 km no barrier to celebrating Artie's win

The rockstar of harness racing, Shepparton pacer Lochinvar Art, is providing a magical Cinderella story for his young trainer-driver David Moran.

The observation was made by the super horse's popular owner Kevin Gordon in the wake of Lochinvar Art's stunning victory (and Moran's shrewd drive) in the prestigious Victoria Cup on Saturday night.

Gordon predicted that, in five or six-years' time, Moran would be ranked "up there with the best of them".

"He's gaining respect in the industry and he's earnt it. The Victoria Cup victory was so exciting, but it's not life-changing for my wife Leonie and I," Gordon, a successful businessman, said.

"However, for David, who's a 34-year-old and not all that long ago wasn't very well-known, it's big. He's wanting to build and to be up near the top, and this horse is definitely getting people to notice his talent," he said.

David Moran and Lochinvar Art after the pacer’s record-breaking Victoria Cup success   –Stuart McCormick photo

Lochinvar Art (Modern Art-Ponder In Paris (Ponder) showed that he's Australia's most exciting pacer at the moment with a dominant victory in the $300,000 G1 Pryde's Easifeed Victoria Cup at Melton.

The Shepparton pub turned it on for the locals on Sunday and David and his partner Kasey were there.

David and Kasey joined the home-town revelry in Shepparton

About one thousand kilometres away, Gordon and his wife Leonie had lunch at the Duke of Wellington Hotel in New Lambton and there were lots of phone calls to and fro as well as a couple of customary raising of the glasses!

"David has done an absolutely awesome job with 'Artie'," Gordon said.

"Two months ago, he picked out the race and told me it was our 'grand final'. Artie had a bit of a stop-start campaign when he got a slight lung infection, but David got him over that and pushed on," he said.

"The horse is now enjoying a few days off because David had him pretty much wound up for the Cup – he's spending a few days out in the paddock, just enjoying being a horse again."

Lochinvar Art recorded a mile rate of 1.51-4 which narrowly eclipsed the previous best set by Bling It On 12 months ago in the same event. The pacer now has the 1720m and 2240m Melton track records to his name and is closing in quickly toward $1 million in stakes.

"We've knocked back some decent offers over the past 18 months, but we're just thoroughly enjoying the excitement of racing him," Gordon said.

He said not being able to attend the Victoria Cup due to Covid-19 restrictions, was the first feature race they hadn't been trackside to see their horse race.

"Leonie and I have been watching from home and I'm not much of a spectator – I admit that I do cheer and yell out! Leonie does a little bit, but not as bad as me!" he laughed.

"It was a bit disappointing not to be there, but there were no avenues for exemptions, so that's the way it is. We sent David a text of congratulations soon after the Cup and then we had a long chat later," he said.

Gordon, who owns Beresfield business Multicam Routing Systems, paid $29,000 for Lochinvar Art as a yearling.

He said upcoming targets for Lochinvar Art included the four and five-year-old championship at Melton in mid-November.

"We ring David probably twice a week so we'll keep talking about the plans, but providing the state borders open up, we are also looking at the Blacks A Fake in Queensland on December 15 over 2600 metres and naturally the 2021 Miracle Mile," Gordon said.

"I would just love to qualify for the Miracle Mile, via the Newcastle Mile which is our home place – we live just 10 minutes from there.

"If you are going to dream…you may as well dream big!"

 

Terry Gange

NewsAlert PR Mildura