Balmont’s Ascot Success
Lynward Park Stud’s Balmont continued his recent siring success with a double at Ascot on Melbourne Cup day.
Max Almighty ran on strongly to win the Westspeed 3Y0 Handicap (1200m) then a race later Park Lane led to take the Golden River Developments Handicap (1000m).
Both Max Almighty and Park Lane were racing first-up. Max Almighty was starting for only the second time (he was a debut third to Get Fath in June) and Park Lane recoded his fifth win.
Max Almighty is from the Il Ferrari mare My Ramayo, a half-sister to the 11-time winner Just Like Diamonds. Park Lane is from the Dauberval mare Kirov Ballet, a dual Perth winner and third in the Listed Gimcrack Stakes. Kirov Ballet is also the dam of winners Pytheas, Vigano, In The Mood and Kirov Park.
“There’s a lot of upside in Max Almighty,” said trainer Tiarnna Robertson. “He should continue to improve. Hopefully there’s bigger things ahead.”
Trainer Cliff Smith said Park Lane, a noted speedster, had returned bigger and stronger. “It was a gutsy win,” said Smith. “He had to be ridden hard early to get across.”