One of the real pin-up pacers of our harness racing scene at the moment in Lochinvar Art is right on song for his next assignment—in country New South Wales.
“I sat down with owner Kevin Gordon and we looked over the options. We eventually decided on a heat and group one final series at Wagga next month,” Victorian trainer-driver David Moran said.
“Last season we pushed the horse to this and that race, but we’re determined to now aim at what’s the most suitable and not just keep sending him around,” he said.
Lochinvar Art (Modern Art USA-Ponder In Paris (Ponder) will compete at Riverina Paceway during the Wagga Wagga club’s Group One Carnival. He will front up in a $10,000 qualifying 1740m heat for 4yo entires and geldings on Tuesday, April 7, with the $100,000 final over 2270m to be run five days later.
Moran said his rising star would then go for a break in a lush paddock before heading to Queensland for the rich Winter Carnival in July.
The astute young horseman is understandably still up in the clouds with the efforts of his horse this preparation— and so he should be! After returning to the racing scene early this year, “Arty” has swept all before him, winning a massive $344,000 in six starts.
He took out the Cobram Cup on January 5 and then was luckless six days later in the Shepparton Cup when fifth to Phoenix Prince. Next was a victory in the $100k G1 Alabar 4yo Bonanza and then an unplaced run in the Hunter Cup to King Of Swing when nothing went his way.
Lochinvar Art then dispelled any doubt about him being a genuine Group One performer with a tough win in the $200k Chariots of Fire at Menangle. And to cap it off, his “game as Ned Kelly” effort when runner-up in the $1M Miracle Mile was sensational.
“I knew that he had come back from a few months’ spell late last year in fine order. His work was first class, but he did keep surprising me each day when we were up in Sydney for the Chariots and Miracle Mile,” Moran said.
“There were times when I was doing fast work and I was honestly in disbelief. I was thinking that he couldn’t do what he was doing—it was all a bit unbelievable,” he said.
“The run in the Miracle Mile was awesome. We had to work when I scooted around them at the 1000m mark, but then to hold off some of the smart ones behind me and hang onto second was huge.
“I’m enjoying the ride with ‘Arty’ that’s for sure because horses like this don’t come along all that often.”
Moran selected Lochinvar Art at a ready-to-run sale in Sydney.
“Kevin and his wife Leonie gave me a free rein to pick one out for them. I just liked the way Lochinvar Art went. He was a good mover and covered the ground nicely,” he said.
“He looked like he was doing a 32 second split when they dashed him up. But it was more like a tick over 27. We ended up paying $29,000 for him.
“I have been very lucky. Ever since that day, the Gordons have taken me to the yearling sales to buy another horse for them.”
Kevin and Leonie Gordon
Moran has a team of 12 horses in work at his base at Kialla, near Shepparton.
This includes a number of young ones and Moran is being helped out by his stepson Cody, 15, who is doing a traineeship. And don’t be surprised to see the teenager in action on the racetrack later this year as he’s keen to get his licence.
Terry Gange
NewsAlert PR Mildura