Lloyd lends a hand in Coast racing win
MOMENTS after Lloyd Williams celebrated his record sixth Melbourne Cup win, Gold Coast trainer Mel Eggleston was finding success thanks to one of the famed owner’s former horses.
Nearly nine years to the day Meld had his last start for Williams in Bendigo, the now-stallion’s progeny Masondale won the QTIS Three-Years-Old Colts and Geldings Maiden Handicap (1200m) at Aquis Park. Eggleston’s brother and breeder Andrew bought Meld from Williams – who won this year’s Cup with Rekindling – in 2009 at the Magic Millions Summer Carnival Thoroughbred Sale for $40,000.
Williams originally bought Meld for $340,000 in 2006 and his influence in racing is far reaching.
The Eggleston brothers bred the horse with dam Canadian Treasure and the progeny, Masondale, has found success in his second start.
“We actually bought the stallion to go to Thailand but we couldn’t get rid of him,” Eggleston said.
“It has turned out all right though.”
Eggleston was confident Masondale would win his first start after four months of work but admitted they chose the wrong tactics. But Eggleston and jockey Luke Rolls fined-tuned things and found success yesterday.
“It was a good win,” Eggleston said.
“He has been in work for about five months but he has had enough now. He will go to the paddock for a break and we will bring him back and hopefully get some more QTIS money for him.
“He is well bred and the cream always rises to the top. He probably should have won his first. We probably erred a little bit with the tactics.
“We drew an outside barrier and used him up and he ran out of gas in the last 40m.
“He controlled the race (yesterday). They couldn’t beat him when they are running that slow time over 1200m and sprinting home.
Jockey Scott Galloway narrowly avoided serious injury when the Michael Costatrained Charlie Cat bounded multiple times at the gate and flipped over before the final race of the day.
Costa said both jockey and horse were luckily unharmed.
“It could have been a lot worse,” Costa said.
“Charlie Cat flipped over backwards and with Scott’s experience he knew which way to go.”