Celebrate Lonhro’s 21st and the Cup

EVERYONE is invited to visit Godolphin to celebrate the horse’s birthday, Lonhro’s 21st birthday and the arrival of the Lexus Melbourne Cup 2019.

Barley Ward-Thomas, stud manager of Godolphin said the staff were excited to welcome the community to celebrate at their farm.

“It’s a tremendous occasion and a great honour for us to be able to welcome the Lexus Melbourne Cup for 2019 and it’s right on the horse’s birthday as well and it coincides with Lonhro’s 21st birthday,” said Mr Ward-Thomas.

“It’s always a real pleasure to have people on the farm, it’s a real pleasure for the staff and a real pleasure for everybody to showcase the farm and what Sheikh Mohammed has been able to achieve at his farm at Kelvinside,” he said. 

“People will be able to see the Cup, have a wander through the stallions, we’ll show a couple of or stallions and they will certainly get the chance to see the great Lonhro and maybe a couple of his sons and staying with tradition there will be a bacon and egg roll as well,” he said.

“Some high school students will be here, some coming from a couple of hours away  and we encourage the schools to come out to have a look at this very special event,” he said.

There will be several videos played and history of the Melbourne Cup and its part in Australian Folk Lore.

Scone as the horse breeding capital of Australia has a natural connection to the Cup.

“There are several farms here that have had a history with the Melbourne Cup, Kia Ora has had a fabulous history with the Melbourne Cup and even to a certain extent Godolphin, which had the winner last year; Scone is the horse capital of Australia and it is bound to have a serious impact on the race that stops the nation,” said Barley.

Celebrating Lonhro’s 21st Birthday

Go to Lonhro’s 21st: Lonhro with his dedicated groom Deen Griesheimer.

As part of the Lexus Melbourne Cup 2019 tour people will also be able to celebrate Lonhro’s 21st and see the other outstanding stallions at Godolphin.

Lonhro is a living legend in the thoroughbred world, backing up an outstanding racetrack record with progeny that have become sought after sires in their own right.

Lonhro retired at the age of five and has since been breeding mares for Woodlands and Godolphin.

“He is one of the main stays and probably the most important horse that we have at Godolphin,” said Barley.

“He’s one of the few horses, a little bit like Winx or Black Caviar, who have transcended their sport, he was in his time a household name, he was everything you identify with great sporting achievement, great talent, great guts and longevity,” he said.

“He throws very much to himself, he is one of the very few champion racehorses which has gone on to become champion sire and a very important influence on the thoroughbred in Australia,” he said.

“We have some in residence, including a couple of Lonhro’s sons Kementari and Exosphere, so Lonhro is a sire of sire’s and we’ve got some great old favourites like Exceed and Excel and Astern is returning from overseas as well as last year’s world champion sprinter Harry Angel who is arriving from Europe in the middle of August,” said Barley.

Cup Movements in the Upper Hunter

“We are helping the VRC to get the Cup out into the community, it will go to Aberdeen Primary School after us, then White Park arena, out to Strathearn, then out to the famous Linga Longa to finish the day – like we all should,” laughed Barley Ward-Thomas.

Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour 2019 – Godolphin

To ensure there are enough bacon and egg rolls, PLEASE RSVP to Godolphin by Friday, July 26: kelvinside.rsvp@godolphin.com or phone: 02 6543 9000.

• WHEN: 8am – 10:30am, Thursday, August 1. Stallion parade: 9:15am.
• WHERE: Godolphin Kelvinside, 401 Rouchel Road, Aberdeen.