Lamborne Road went a long way to establishing himself as more than just a promising type with his second to Titan Banner in the Wyndham Cup.
He gets his chance to confirm that new status when he lines up in the ILT Foundation Autumn Cup at Ascot Park on Saturday.
On paper, getting beaten by Titan Banner at Wyndham was no big deal. Lamborne Road had a front row start and Titan Banner went from 50 metres behind.
The reality was that Lamborne Road took the first 200 metres of the race to settle into his gait and by then was stone-cold last. With 500 metres to run, he was still among the tailenders and entitled to call it quits.
Instead, he launched a run three and four wide and in the straight was the only horse closing as Titan Banner stopped the clock at 3:58.9 for the 3200 metre trip.
All season, Lamborne Road has looked a more than useful provincial pacer. The Wyndham Cup suggested he is more than that and in many ways his rocky start in the race was just a refection of his career.
The five year old started off well enough, two wins in his first five starts, and then followed a year in which his Invercargill trainer Wayne Adams said he was training well and racing poorly.
The son of Washington VC had a lung infection and was sent for a spell to the Myross Bush property of Niki and Stephen Keast, who race Lamborne Road with Joe and Raeleen Thompson. Niki Keast, a qualified nurse, said the horse began frothing at the nose and got very sick, and it was hard to get a diagnosis.
She did though and found it was caused by e-coli and pseudomonas. Lamborne Road had six weeks of antibiotics and nursing and then was turned out to grow.
When the gelding returned to the track in December, he was well enough to clock 2:54.6 to win a mobile 2400 at Winton from 11 off the gate. Lamborne Road hasn't finished further back than fourth since then.
Today's race is an R60 and faster discretionary pace and sees Lamborne Road and Shane Walkinshaw going from the unruly and 10 metres behind.
There are 11 races on the card and Blair Orange, Dexter Dunn and Matthew Williamson, who drove about three quarters of the winners at Ascot Park last weekend, look well placed to repeat the week.
Envious and Lilac Flash look the best of Dunn's chances while
Evangaline Franco, American Magic, King Cassidy and Sheezus also rate. Over The Love and Better B Chevron looks top hopes for Orange with
Manuka Valley, Rocking Robyn, Miss Fandango and Sheeza GNP all capable of finishing close-up. As usual, Williamson's best chances are trotters with Bet's Commando and Blazing Under Fire his drives this week. Among the pacers, both RnR Windermere and Rakarover can feature.
Mac Henry