Higgins Quality winner’s ¾ brother chases Cup ballot exemption of his own
To breed one Melbourne Cup runner is an achievement, but to have two in the same race from the one family is something not many can boast.
But that's the dream Gail Temperton and Stan Alexander are hoping to realise this year and Samuel Langhorne can take a giant step towards making it happen in this weekend's The Andrew Ramsden at Flemington.
The $500,000 Listed event carries a Melbourne Cup ballot exemption, the second to have been put up by the Victoria Racing Club this year, following the Roy Higgins Quality in March.
That 2600-metre event was won by the Roger James and Robert Wellwood-trained Mark Twain, a three-quarter-brother to Samuel Langhorne, who is trained by Michael Kent.
Both are by Shocking, himself a Melbourne Cup winner, with Samuel Langhorne out of the Pentire mare Nosecondprize, who like Mark Twain is out of the Prized mare Pinders Prize.
Having two members of the same family contest the same Melbourne Cup would be a dream result for Temperton after purchasing Pinders Prize from Tom Jamieson when he was moving on some stock.
"Mr Jamieson was selling up a group of horses and we bought her at the sales," Temperton said.
"The fillies haven't been quite as good as the colts out of that mare, but every colt we have bred from her has sold well and raced well."
Temperton and Alexander have already seen a member of the family make it to the starting stalls at Flemington on the first Tuesday in November.
One of the four foals Pinders Prize had between Nosecondprize and Mark Twain was Pentathlon, who ran ninth in the 2016 Melbourne Cup won by Almandin.
Pentathlon was also placed in a Group 2 Wellington Cup (3200m), Group 2 Moonee Valley Cup (2500m), Group 3 Hotham Handicap (2500m) and Group 3 New Zealand Cup, a 3200m race another similar-sounding member of the family has had an impact on.
Pinders Prize's half-brother Pentathon won the 2006 NZ Cup, claimed the Group 2 O'Shea Stakes (2200m) and placed in the Group 1 Doomben Cup (2020m) in 2007, while the son of Pentire was runner-up to No Wine No Song in the 2008 Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m).
Mark Twain and Samuel Langhorne started their careers within two months of each other, Mark Twain winning at start No 2 at Hawera in November 2022, while Samuel Langhorne had two runs in New Zealand before breaking his maiden at Mornington at his second Australian start.
He was beaten at his next four starts, although he never finished further back than fifth, but has won his past three, including a strong win over 2500m at the scene of Saturday's race, which booked his spot in Saturday's 2800m race.
"I don't know if he's good enough, it's a big jump in class, but the further he goes the better he goes and he likes he a bit more of a test," Kent after the Flemington win, already looking ahead to The Andrew Ramsden.
"He is improving a lot and keeps stepping up to the bar.
"He is a very progressive stayer who is still a preparation away.
"He might have a nice staying race in him in the future."
Samuel Langhorne is one of 15 runners in The Andrew Ramsden, in which he will be ridden by Michael Dee, who was aboard for Mark Twain's win in the Roy Higgins Quality.
