Gurner's Lane
| Gurner's Lane | |
|---|---|
| Sire | Sir Tristram |
| Dam | Taiona |
| Damsire | Sovereign Edition |
| Sex | Gelding |
| Foaled | 7 October 1978 |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Colour | Chestnut |
| Trainer | Geoff Murphy |
| Earnings | $558,400 |
| Major wins | |
| Group One Caulfield Cup (1982) Melbourne Cup (1982) Group Two VRC St Leger (1982) AJC St Leger (1982) Newcastle Gold Cup (1982) | |
| Awards | |
| Australian Champion Racehorse of the Year (1983) | |
| Last updated on 01:16, Tuesday September 17 2024 (UTC) | |
Gurner's Lane (foaled 1978) was a champion Thoroughbred racehorse in Australia who is best remembered for winning the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups in 1982. He was just the seventh of 11 horses to complete this rare double.[1] Foaled in New Zealand, and trained by Geoff Murphy, Gurner's Lane was by Sir Tristram out of Taiona,[2] who also produced the Group One winners Sovereign Red and Trichelle (both full relations), and was named Champion New Zealand Broodmare of the Year in 1981 and 1983.[3] Gurner's Lane was the first of three Melbourne Cup winners for his sire - the others being Empire Rose (1988) and Brew (2000) - and was bred on the same cross as Empire Rose, as both were out of Sovereign Edition mares.[4] Prior to the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups, Gurner's Lane had won the VRC and AJC St Legers, during the autumn of 1982, and had run third in the AJC Derby. Returning at four, he won the Newcastle Gold Cup and was fourth in The Metropolitan. Ridden in the Caulfield Cup by Brent Thomson, at 53.5 kilograms, Gurner's Lane defeated Gala Mascot and Veloso.[5] He was penalised 2.5 kilograms for this victory, which took his Melbourne Cup weight to 56 kilograms. For a four-year-old gelding, this was just one kilogram below weight-for-age - even though he won just the one Group One race. In the Melbourne Cup, his rivals included Kingston Town, then a winner of 13 Group One races, who, with 59 kilograms, would carry one kilogram below weight-for-age for a six-year-old gelding. Turning for home in the Melbourne Cup, Kingston Town sprinted clear for his jockey, Malcolm Johnston, and appeared likely to win until Mick Dittman brought Gurner's Lane through on the rails to bring 'sadness to a million lovers of racing'.[6] In the early part of 1983, Gurner's Lane broke down, and, at season's end, was named Australia's champion racehorse. After a lengthy break, Gurner's Lane returned to the track but failed to recapture his best form and was retired.
References
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