Melbourne Cup 2015: Prince Of Penzance lands the ultimate prize for knockabout band of owners

“LOOK I’m in my seventies and I want a decent horse before I cark it. Can you find me one?” And so began the incredible story of a knockabout band of owners who took a punt with Prince of Penzance.

Melbourne Cup Day Races at Flemington Racecourse. Race 7. Melbourne Cup over 3200 metres. Connections after winning the cup with Prince of Penzance.Picture: Andrew Tauber Tuesday November 3, 2015. Melbourne, Australia. MelbourneCup15

ARTHUR RICKARD reckons it was the best conversation he’s ever had with a trainer.

He approached Darren Weir at the Donald races more than four years ago and laid it on the line. The conversation went along the following lines.

“Look I’m in my seventies and I want a descent horse before I cark it and can you find me one,” he told Weir

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The trainer quickly told Rickard that he’d just bought a yearling colt via the Karaka Yearling Sales in New Zealand, which was bred to stay, and there were some shares left.

Weir’s long time stable client Sandy McGregor took 25 per cent, John Richards took another 25 per cent and the rest was shared between the Wilson family and four syndicates which gave the horse 23 owners.

Rickard formed the Wining Five Syndicate with his 10 per cent of the hose and off-loaded shares to his two daughters, Susan and Jenny, and two mates, Mark Hall and Darren Lonsdale, who had never owned a horse before.

An emotional Darren Lonsdale said he couldn’t believe his luck with his first horse.

“It cost me a $1000 of my own money and I have not paid one bill,” he said.

“The horse has had four operations, and it nearly died and it’s my first horse and I’ve won the Melbourne Cup.

“Arthur was a friend and we met about 20 years ago when we were both looking at establishing online shopping but we were before our time.”

Lonsdale, who works at the Austin Hospital as a theatre technician, said he told all surgeons that the horse was worth backing. He even reminded on at trackside yesterday bug wasn’t sure if he backed it _ but he did.

“I began backing it at 150-1 a while ago and kept on going back having $25 each way and I really don’t know how much I had on it in the end,” he said

“But I tell you what, I’ve got the first leg of the quaddie.

“Because it was my first horse I went down and watched it trial at Colac where I meet Michelle Payne and she told I would have a lot of fun with this horse. She told me how the horse slipped on the turn, but didn’t fall and she said horses don’t do that.”

Lonsdale said he’d conservatively worked out that he’d pocketed $60,000 from his share of the $3.6 million prizemoney.

Melbourne man Stephen Wilson, who now works as the media manager of the Gold Coast Suns, has a 10 per cent share in the winner with his family.

“We had horses with Darren for more than 10 years, and actually Michelle rode our first horse,” Wilson said.

“He pushed us into this one after he and John Foote bought it and he liked it all along and when it won here in 2013 at Flemington, it over raced but it was an outstanding run and it was a super run last year in the Moonee Valley Cup and just missed out on a run in the Melbourne Cup then but we came back this year and won it.”

Wilson said Weir told the owners that he wouldn’t be running Prince of Penzance if he didn’t think it could finish in the top 10

“To win it with Darren Weir with Michelle Payne and Stevie Payne, it’s just a great story,” Wilson said.

Timothy Ashford, who bought 10 per cent of the horse with five mates, said the ownership of the horse was a mix between the two main owners and the rest was a mix of “bits and pieces.”

Michelle Payne salutes the crowd after her stunning win on Prince of Penzance.

“There are 23 owners and it’s a social occasion when we catch up at the races and we are going to know each other a lot more over the next couple of days,” he said.

“Our syndicate manager Sam Brown researched the bloodlines and came across John Foote Bloodstock and always liked the idea of having a distance horse, opposed to a sprinter..

“He has had three operations on his knee, was nearly snatched away from us with colic and to have him running in the Cup, yet alone winning it, is a miracle. And it’s a great story we want to share with everyone.”

For owner John Richards, it was a Melbourne Cup day he’ll never forget. He also part owns Secret Billows which was won the last race of the day and for him the lucky last get even luckier.

For many of Prince of Penzance’s owners, most didn’t know each other, the gelding from New Zealand has been a life changer.

Going into yesterday’s Melbourne Cup, Prince of Penzance had win $605, 690 _ but he has now won $4,405,690.

And as for Arthur Rickard. He plans to stick around for a lot longer to watch Prince of Penzance attempt back-to-back Melbourne Cup winners.

Prince Of Penzance’s connections show off the spoils of victory.

Originally published as Melbourne Cup 2015: Prince Of Penzance lands the ultimate prize for knockabout band of owners