Brilliant pacer Lochinvar Art’s place in trots immortality has been etched in stone with the Group 1 champion’s stunning four-year-old season seeing him awarded the Victorian Horse of the Year for 2019-20.
Thrilled owner Kevin Gordon told last night’s Gordon Rothacker Medal celebration it was a “privilege to win an award like this”, with David Moran’s Lochinvar Art earning most votes ahead of outstanding trotters Tornado Valley and Pink Galahs, who were also finalists for the top honour.
“He’s turned out to be the people’s horse, he’s got the x-factor and we’re very excited to win this award,” Gordon told the broadcast.
“He was very unlucky as a two-year-old, had a lot of bad draws. People just gravitated to him and I can assure you that some of the leading greyhound trainers in Australia, who have never followed harness in their life, have actually said to me I follow one horse now and that was Arty.”
In the 2019-20 season Lochinvar Art had 13 wins from 19 starts, amassing a tick over half-a-million in stakes with wins in the Victoria Cup, Chariots Of Fire, Vicbred Super Series final and a stunning 4YO Bonanza victory, in which he held off Self Assured to win in a track record 1:48.6.
“That Bonanza, when he ran 1:48.6, that was breathtaking that he could run that on a 1000-metre track. It was pretty exciting,” Gordon said.
“Had a few lows with him, obviously with injury, but we are very very hopeful he’ll be back at the races in December this year.”
That’s extremely encouraging news, with Lochinvar Art unraced due to injury since his stunning win in this year’s Del-Re National A. G. Hunter Cup, and having since stood at Luke and Belinda McCarthy’s Cobbity Farm.
“He’s had a massive amount of inquiries I’ve got to say, he’s filling up quite quickly,” Gordon said. “(But I’m) quietly more than confident he’ll be back at the races.”
Here are all of the Victorian Horse of the Year winners and nominees:
Victorian Horse of the Year: Winner – Lochinvar Art; Nominees – Pink Galahs, Tornado Valley.
2YO Pacing Filly: Winner – Ladies In Red; Nominees – Tough Tilly, Treachery.
2YO Pacing Colt/Gelding: Winner – Major Moth; Nominees – Act Now, Kimble.
2YO Trotting Filly: Winner – Banglez; Nominees – Evas Image, Sangreal.
2YO Trotting Colt/Gelding: Winner – Dont Care; Nominees – Keayang Ninja, Watts Up Majestic.
3YO Pacing Filly: Winner – Maajida; Nominees – Its Beaujolais, The Panthiest.
3YO Pacing Colt/Gelding: Winner – Pacifico Dream; Nominees – Focus Stride, Mach Dan.
3YO Trotting Filly: Winner – Pink Galahs; Nominees – Im Ready Jet, Majestical Belle.
3YO Trotting Colt/Gelding: Winner – Cover of Darkness; Nominees – Cracker Jet, Is That A Bid.
4YO Pacing Mare: Winner – Our Princess Tiffany; Nominees – Enchanted Stride, Miss McGonagall.
4YO Pacing Entire/Gelding: Winner – Lochinvar Art; Nominees – Hurricane Harley, Out To Play.
4YO Trotting Mare: Winner – Keayang Livana; Nominees – Imsettogo, Monaro Maro.
4YO Trotting Entire/Gelding: Winner – Always Ready; Nominees – Majestuoso, Sammy Showdown.
Aged Pacing Mare: Winner – Goodtime Heaven; Nominees – Pick Up Line, Rock N Roll Chapel.
Aged Pacing Entire/Gelding: Winner – Code Bailey; Nominees – Ride High, Phoenix Prince.
Aged Trotting Mare: Winner – Dance Craze; Nominees – Miss Blissful, Red Hot Tooth.
Aged Trotting Entire/Gelding: Winner – Tornado Valley; Nominees – McLovin, Wobelee.
By Michael Howard for HRV – https://harnesslink.com/australia/trots-immortality-for-lochinvar-art/
