Melbourne Cup and The Everest contenders Goldman and Private Eye racing in honour of late owner

Everest weapon Private Eye and Melbourne Cup hope Goldman will have some help from heaven this spring in the wake of the death of a prominent racehorse owner.

The late John Allen with family members (including son Peter, second from left) after Redzel won The Everest in 2017. Picture supplied by Peter Allen

Melbourne Cup contender Goldman and The Everest weapon Private Eye will have some help from above as they try to conjure famous wins this spring.

Prominent owner John Allen, who won two Everests when Redzel scored in 2017 and 2018, passed away last month from a rare disease called Amyloidosis which impacted his heart.

Allen owned horses for more than 40 years and it was his lifelong dream to have a Melbourne Cup runner.

Less than three months after Allen’s passing, Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Goldman will race in his honour in the Cup after qualifying for the big race with his win in the Roy Higgins at Flemington in March.

Allen’s son Peter is now managing his late father’s racing interests of more than 20 horses.

The late John Allen will have his first Melbourne Cup winner this year. Picture: Supplied by Peter Allen

“Dad will have a Melbourne Cup runner this year – the first one he has ever had,” Peter Allen explained.

“We were hoping to get dad over the line to get him down there for the Cup, but unfortunately he passed away last month.

“We have booked tickets to go down for the Melbourne Cup, we have got a big family, and we have a dining room down there we have booked out at Flemington.

“Dad paid for it all, he was a very generous man.

“Dad had room in his heart for everyone, he was a father figure to so many people and he helped so many people.

“He fully intended to be there for the Cup, but the final stages of his life came pretty quickly.

“Dad had a wonderful life, he lived life to the fullest, he went very hard in his early days when he was a Customs officer.

“He had horses for 44 years and had always wanted to have a Melbourne Cup runner.”

Goldman is a $15 chance in the Melbourne Cup. Picture: Getty Images.

Allen, who had six children and 13 grandchildren, was 84 when he passed away.

Amyloidosis is a disease in which abnormal proteins build up in the body.

In Allen’s case, it impacted his heart which struggled to pump blood around his body.

Allen with one of the foals he bred on a farm at Bowral.

John Allen with son Peter after Private Eye finished second in The Everest last year.

After the exhilarating success of winning two Everests with Redzel, Allen almost scored another when Private Eye finished runner-up behind Giga Kick last year.

Private Eye will be racing in Allen’s honour in the 2023 The Everest.

“Private Eye won a pretty good race last week (The Shorts) and was very impressive,” Allen said.

“For us as a family, it was quite a big high on the day and then the next day was quite flat.

“When Private Eye ran second in The Everest last year, dad was very emotional.

“It was almost as good as winning.”

Goldman is currently rated a $15 chance in the Melbourne Cup while Joe Pride-trained Private Eye is a $6 chance to go one better than last year and storm to Everest glory.

Originally published as Melbourne Cup and The Everest contenders Goldman and Private Eye racing in honour of late owner