Artie brings smiles wide and far

There was a lot to like about rockstar pacer Lochinvar Art’s performance at the Melton trials yesterday afternoon, and champion NSW horseman Luke McCarthy was one of the first to check in.

Luke and Belinda McCarthy played a major role in the pacer’s comeback from injury when they agreed to oversee “Artie’s” rehabilitation program while standing him for his first season at stud on their Cobbitty Equine Farms facility, near Sydney.

“Luke was the first on the phone after he watched the trial – he was so glad to see Lochinvar Art go around in fine fashion,” enthusiastic owner Kevin Gordon said.

“I was quite chuffed. Luke is just a gentleman because of course in some of the big events coming up we’ll be up against his stars including King Of Swing and Expensive Ego.”

In what was a closely-watched hit-out on the Tabcorp Park Live Trials live stream, Lochinvar Art was pitted against the Andy Gath-trained Tango Tara in a fast class trial at Melton yesterday.

An 11-times winner and last start Group Two victor, Tango Tara bounced to the front for Gath’s wife Kate, who kept the pace on with splits of 29.9, 30.1, 28.2 and 27.0. Tango Tara narrowly held Lochinvar Art at bay, with the pair clocking a respectable mile rate of 1.57-9.

Lochinvar Art worked comfortably to the line and was never bustled by Moran.

“It was just perfect and the trial worked out so good, despite just two of us going around. To a degree, there’s only a certain amount you can do at home and you always need to have a bit of a hit out,” Moran said.

“Luke did an outstanding job with the horse while he was up there. He was swimming him as well as giving him work on the treadmill and the water walker.

“Arty was pretty fit when I got him back home about three weeks ago. All I’ve virtually had to do was tune him up and get him back into the rhythm of things.

“He’ll have a few easy days now because that was his first serious hit out.”

Lochinvar Art, a winner of 28 races from 50 starts for over $1.3M, hasn’t raced for 11 months with a leg injury derailing his campaign which was aimed at the Newcastle Mile and Miracle Mile.

The superstar had been in brilliant form leading up to the Sydney trip, winning six consecutive races including the Shepparton and Ballarat Cups and the Hunter Cup over a two-month period from December, 2020.

Gordon said while the Shepparton Gold Cup on Saturday week had been pencilled in for his pacer, there was also the Casey Classic, Hunter Cup and then a Sydney trip.

“The Newcastle Mile is still unfinished business as far as I’m concerned. That’s my home track and many years ago I went to the mile with Vic Frost and his star horse Westburn Grant,” he said.

“They won it two years in a row and the last time I told Vic that one day I was going to win it. Arty is a once in a lifetime horse so all going well, we’ll have a go at that event this year as well as the Miracle Mile.”

Gordon said the rise of fame by Moran in harness racing was exciting to see.

“He’s come a long way in many aspects and it’s hard to believe that he only drove his first Group One winner three years ago—now he’s got 17 of them.”

By Terry Gange for Harnesslink