Promising stayer Samuel Langhorne came with a well-timed run under jockey Blaike McDougall to claim the lion’s share of the prize in the Carlton Draught BM78 Handicap (2400m) at the standalone Bendigo meeting on Saturday.
The four-year-old son of Shocking did a good job to reel in Mi Rock Aly, who had shot to a commanding lead rounding the home bend before tiring late under a well-executed Celine Gaudray ride.
Prepared by Mick Kent, Samuel Langhorne scored by a long neck to land the third win of his ten-start career after a good win at Sandown at his previous start.
The gelding will now try to emulate his three-quarter brother Mark Twain by claiming a berth in the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m), with the win-and-you’re-in Listed Andrew Ramsden Stakes (2800m) at Flemington on May 18 a target.
“I thought he had got there,” stable representative Mason Stevens said.
“I was a bit worried coming into the straight. The leader kicked away. He is a real stayer and he is only going to get better as he goes up in trip.
“He is one of those horses who only seems to do what he has to. We always thought the more up in class he gets, he will improve himself. It was really good to see him do that today up in grade.”
There are now options for the progressive stayer, with a Benchmark 84 Handicap over 2500m at Flemington on Anzac Day an option.
“We will see how he comes through the run,” Stevens said. “He will either go to Anzac Day or straight into the Ramsden hopefully.”
Samuel Langhorne is raced by Kent in conjunction with long-time friend and bloodstock agent Phill Cataldo and had a handful of runs in New Zealand for trainer Daniel Miller.
The son of Shocking is named after an American writer best-known by his nom de plume Mark Twain, who was in attendance and marvelled at the 1895 Melbourne Cup.
In a fitting twist, Roger James and Robert Wellwood recently prepared OTI Racing’s Kiwi galloper Mark Twain to win the Listed Roy Higgins (2600m) at Flemington to book a place in this year’s Melbourne Cup.
Along with his close-relation Samuel Langhorne, the well-named stayers were bred by Gail Temperton and her partner Stan Alexander under their Taikorea Thoroughbreds banner.
Broken in at Otaki by Buddy Lammas and prepared for the 2021 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale under the Prima Park banner, the pair breezed together as lots 226 and 241, but were withdrawn in the Covid-affected year.