Sent off a short-priced favourite off the back of a luckless second at Cranbourne when on debut, the Wendy Kelly-trained Lord Markel got the job done with a minimum of fuss in a 1435m maiden at Geelong on Monday.
Scratched from Sunday’s Group III Caulfield Guineas Prelude after drawing the outside barrier, the 3yo son of Hallowed Crown was sent straight to the front by Brett Prebble and looked the winner from barrier rise.
Eased down in the final 50 metres. Lord Markey defeated Ears The Barman (Ghibellines) by one and three-quarter lengths with Smart Charge (Charge Forward) a length and a
"When he drew barrier three here against barrier 18 yesterday it was a bit of a no-brainer. He’s a nice horse I really like him,” Kelly said.
"He’s done a great job and he did a great job at Cranbourne too, where he was very unlucky.
"He’s a real workman-like horse. There’s no fuss about him, he’s got some talent there and I don’t think we saw the best of it today.
"I’ll sit down and have a chat with the owners to see where we head with him. We are not going to go forward to the Caulfield Guineas but there are certainly some nice races down the track with him.”
Purchased by Cameron Cooke Bloodstock for $80,000 from the Diamond Lodge draft at the 2018 NZB Ready To Run Sale of 2YOs, Lord Markel previously went through the Westbury Lodge draft at NZB Karaka -Book 1 where he was knocked down to Diamond Lodge for $75,000.
He is the first foal of the Encosta de Lago mare Given With Love who is a daughter of the talented Redoute’s Choice mare Presenting whose five wins included the Listed SAJC Morphettville Guineas.
Given With Love hails from the famous Denise’s Joy family of Thorn Park and Bentley Biscuit.
