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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.’

Television cameras swung to the owners. Neil Laws’ raw emotion overtook him, his obvious glee making him an overnight sensation as his wild celebrations went viral on You Tube.

Men In Hats Syndicate member Mike Botting was grabbed to do an interview, journalist Bruce Clark having a laugh with him about the owners being dressed up in the purple, white and green of Prince Of Penzance’s silks.

‘That’s what we’ve invested our winnings on,’ Mike joked. ‘We’ve got ties, cufflinks, scarves … we might have suits by next time!’

‘His best win so far,’ said another delighted owner, Bruce Dalton. ‘A lot of blokes go through their whole life without getting a horse like this. He hasn’t won a Group One, but he still has a couple of years left.’

Sam Brown ‘couldn’t believe’ they’d won, that Prince Of Penzance’s name was on an honour roll along with the likes of Melbourne Cup winners Americain and Kingston Rule: ‘Fancy that, his name was now etched in history.’

A two-kilogram penalty for the win saw Prince Of Penzance make his way up in the order of entry for the Melbourne Cup, and it was still a possibility. But he had pulled a couple of shoes off during the Moonee Valley Cup, and his feet were a little sore. He would not be 100 percent for the Tuesday.

Two weeks later Prince Of Penzance returned to Flemington, the Group Two Queen Elizabeth Stakes his next assignment. For the first time Michelle Payne was not aboard, unable to take the ride due to suspension. Sydney jockey Hugh Bowman took her place. He had the horse nicely placed, but the combination of top weight of 58 kilograms and too firm a track proved a stumbling block — though he was still a courageous second.

The day was a special one for the Men In Hats crew who had long been fans of Hugh Bowman. In March 2010, syndicate member Scott Jenke had celebrated his buck’s party at a Warwick Farm race meeting, and while many of the revellers were not in a fit state to notice the last race, Scott’s brother Paul and Sam Brown had done the form and put a quadrella on.

Alive in the last of the four legs it was a Hugh Bowman mount who won them a nice dividend. Sam remembers he and Paul jumping up and down on the fence, yelling to the jockey, ‘Give us your goggles!’

‘Hugh magnificently obliged and instantly elevated himself to legend status in our eyes. He has always been and will always be one of my favourite jockeys, and he was riding our horse!’

Of course, Michelle is also a great favourite, and it was unusual for Prince Of Penzance’s owners not to be talking to her before a race.

‘I couldn’t resist having a cheeky dig,’ Sam recalled, saying, ‘Hey Hugh, where are your pearl earrings?’

Prince Of Penzance was again in the placings in the Group Two Sandown Classic, with Michelle back in the saddle at his next outing. Racing a touch keenly early, he was badly held up for runs at the turn, getting into the clear and boxing on well to the line to finish a close-up third.

That effort was all the more meritorious when he was later found to be sore. Another bone chip, again on that troublesome off fore, was located and removed.

A well-earned break was to be enjoyed, Prince Of Penzance settling in nicely at Laura Dixon’s Dowling View Equine Centre.

Already at this time betting was open for the following year’s Melbourne Cup. Generous odds were on offer and Andrew Broadfoot was one to have a dabble. The day after he had a bet his phone rang.

Prince Of Penzance was ill, dangerously ill.