LORD

In many ways, Lord is one of the forgotten champions of the Australian turf. Everyone remembers him in passing, but there always seems to be something more important that happened around him. For example, he was the horse beaten by the legendary Tulloch in that champion’s return from his illness that almost claimed his life. The great Lord won the Memsie Stakes four year’s running but in an era when such feats are not acclaimed the way they are now. Zipping won the Sandown Classic on four occasions and the race was renamed in his honour. Perhaps it was the fact that Lord was considered a “Melbourne” champion that was his downfall when it came to his place in history, but what a place in history the gallant old gelding deserves.

Lord started his career as a 2yo on 29 December 1956 winning the Granville Stakes over 1100m. He was a wilful youngster according to his trainer, Ken Hilton who said that he would buck, pigroot, shy and bolt given the chance. “His habits are not nasty, it’s just that he likes to think he’s boss,” said Hilton in The Argus newspaper after