Chris Alford and his good mate Lennytheshark take out the Good Form Victoria Cup at Melton.
It took Victoria’s finest pacer to break New Zealand’s dominance, and he did it in the biggest race on an unforgettable night.
Lennytheshark won the Good Form Victoria Cup in a thrilling finish, holding off Mark Purdon’s Smolda with a final bob of the head that has given his Victorian connections the thrill of a lifetime.
David Aiken’s six-year-old shot to the front and held the lead at a largely modest pace, which set the stage for a final straight showdown between Smolda and Lennytheshark (Four Starzz Shark/Botswana).
While another Kiwi, Mossdale Conner, loomed up on the outside, Lennytheshark driver Chris Alford’s focus was elsewhere.
“I was more worried about Smolda,” Alford said. “I didn’t know who was coming outside, but I knew Smolda would be flying in the sprint lane.”
So it proved, with Purdon driving Smolda to the front in the dying stages to rain on a parochial home crowd’s parade.
And then their hero responded.
“At 50m I thought (Smolda) had us,” Alford said, “but then Lenny stuck his head out and got it done. He’s just a very good horse.”
The result lifted the crowd from its seat and overwhelmed his connections, with co-owner Kevin Riseley declaring he was “absolutely elated”.
“It’s been a dream couple of months,” he said.
They were thoughts echoed by his son and co-owner, Martin Riseley.
“I think the pressure before that race was bigger (than the Inter Dominion), because we are in our home state in Victoria it means a great deal,” Riseley said.
“To see the support we had, he’s not only our horse, he’s everyone’s horse and that’s great. I love it.”
And it means just as much to Aiken, who labelled the win “a big team effort”.
“This horse is a once-in-a-lifetime horse,” Aiken said. “You see all these great horses from the sidelines and you hope one day you get one and I’m so happy I’ve got one.”
Lennytheshark grabbed the frontrunning when Alford hit the start with full intent.
On his inside, Smolda and Mister Mundaka joined the early sprint, holding Lenny until he overpowered them about 200m in.
Alford said his hope then “just relaxed as soon as he got to the lead”.
A lead time of 43.4 preceded modest first (30.0) and second (30.9) quarters, before the running got a little more willing in the third quarter (28.9), setting the scene for Lennytheshark’s match race with Smolda.
“Lenny’s so laid back so you don’t know how he’s travelling,” Aiken said. “I knew Mark was on his back and it was going to be a great race down the main straight.”
It met all expectations, with a 26.9 final quarter and a 1:55.0 mile rate, which made Lennytheshark’s victory all the more compelling.
“Twenty years ago I won the Victoria Cup and Inter Dom. Now it’s 20 years on and I’ve done it again and you realise how hard it is and it all sinks in.”
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