EMERGING STAR EMULATES HIS SIRE IN WINNING GROUP 2 FEATURE

EMERGING star, O’Lonhro, emulated his sire winning the Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes, 1600m, at Randwick on Saturday and will now be set for Epsom Handicap early next month.

Trainer John Hawkes, who prepared Lonhro when he won the race in 2002-03, took great satisfaction for the win, especially as O’Lonhro ran a race record and quicker time than his dad.

Heavily-backed to run favorite at $2.50, O’Lonhro had three-quarters of a length to spare from Miss Marielle, $17 and Triple Honour, $7. It was only his fifth career start.

“It's exciting to see him winning a good race like this because he’s still very immature,” co-trainer Michael Hawkes said. “This was his big test and he got through it really well. He's only just starting to put it together.

“From day one he showed us he could gallop but we haven’t pushed him. We let the horse tell us when he was ready to race, which I think is the essence of the Lonhro breed. If you give them time they just get better and better.”

Ridden by Jay Ford, O’Lonhro sat outside race leader Court Command with Miss Marielle third on the fence and Triple Honour on her outside. He was a sitting shot for horses coming from behind but proved too good. In the process he claimed the scalps of two Doncaster winners in Triple Honour and Vision and Power.

Ford heaped praise on the protential of O’Lonhro. “It's scary how good he could be. His two runs back this time in have been terrific and he is getting better and better each time he goes out. It was a good, tough win for a horse having his fifth start in a race.

“It probably isn't the best way to ride him. He’s a lot better off the speed. He idled for a little in the straight but went to the line strong at the finish. He is better coming from back in the field but there was little pace so we decided to get him up there,”' Ford said.

On the beaten brigade, jockey Peter Robl described the effort of runner-up Miss Marielle as ‘enormous.’ Corey Brown thought Triple Honour would win on straightening and said the third placegetter went great.

The Queenslander, Court Command, which led and ran fourth, may have needed the run and will be better next time, according to jockey Damian Browne. Hugh Bowman said AJC Derby winner, Roman Emperor, ran fifth and will improve even further. Jockey Jim Cassidy said Vision and Power, which ran sixth, needed softer conditions.

$150,000 Group 2 CHELMSFORD STAKES WFA 1600m

O’LONHRO ($2.50) won by three-quarters of a length from Miss Marielle ($17) with a nose to Triple Honour ($7) in third place. The time was 1:34.50 with the last 600m in 34.47.

ANOTHER POST-RACE CONTROVERSY DOGS SYDNEY RACING

ONCE again post-race controversy overshadowed the on-track action with a confusing aftermath to the finish of the Listed Ming Dynasty Quality on Saturday.

Stewards denied a dead-heat had been semaphored blaming speculation of that result on media commentary which occurred during the five minute delay in posting the result.

More Than Great, the heavily-backed $1.95 favorite, was eventually given the nod in the $100,000 feature with the official verdict a nose over Exceed with Me, $6.50.

But it was a very deceptive finish (as the accompanying photo shows) and many think it should have been declared a dead-heat..

Trainer David Payne admitted he had given up on More Than Great, believing his colt had been beaten. Bart Cummings was hoping for a dead-heat with So You Think.

In the confusion, television commentators mistakenly announced the result as a dead-heat. “We had James Cummings and Duncan Ramage from the Bart Cummings stable in to look at the finish and they were satisfied that So You Think had run second,”' Racing NSW chief steward, Ray Murrihy, said.

“The judge, Terry Bootle, said he took his time with the finish to make sure he got the decision right. At no stage was a dead-heat declared and put up on the semaphore board. I think because it took a lot longer than usual to declare the winner, some media may have anticipated it was a dead-heat.”

More Than Great and So You Think are both heading to the $1 million Caulfield Guineas on October 14. While More Than Great had to do his share of work from an awkward alley, So You Think was first-up, racing for only the second time and will be improved.