The Man The Champ Takes For Granted

The Age

Friday April 16, 2004

Andrew Eddy

Sydney

Lonhro may not be a certain to win, but there are many certainties about tomorrow's farewell to the black horse in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes. Lonhro's cerise colours are certain to be the fashion choice of the day. Emotions at Randwick, and indeed throughout the entire country, will be fragile and are sure to be tested during the afternoon.

Oh, and the horse's best mate will be there, too. Lonhro has had a constant companion for the journey from a talented but raw two-yearold to today, where he is without peer as a racehorse in this part of the world.

That man is Grant Allard, his strapper.

Allard, 27, is the first person Lonhro sees each morning and the man who walks with him, washes him, rolls him, grooms him and wants only the best for him."

It will be a bitter-sweet moment. I just don't know how I'll react," Allard said of the fiveyearold's retirement from racing. "But he's going off to a new career where I'm sure he'll make an even bigger name for himself." While racegoers can only marvel at Lonhro's beauty and brilliance, Allard gets up closer than anyone else. "I see him first thing at 4o'clock in the morning."

I go into his box and check that he's eaten up his feed and then get ready to turn him out on to the track.He'll then come back and then maybe have a little walk, a roll and a hose and then it's breakfast."

I go back in the afternoon and give him a walk, a pick and maybe a swim.He gets oneonone treatment, I suppose, and he gets to walk every afternoon while most of the others go on the walking machine.He gets out to have a look around." Those who saw the news services on television the night of Lonhro's amazing Australian Cup win, might recognise Allard as the over-excited young man who was most animated when celebrating the victory in the mounting yard at Flemington."

I've never carried on like that before, but so many people had opinions on whether he was good enough to win or whatever, so to see him get into that trouble and then get up and win, well, that's the most excited I've ever been," Allard said. "That is what you wake up at 4o'clock in the morning for." Allard, who has worked for trainer John Hawkes for four years and considers him the best trainer he has seen, first came into contact with Lonhro after the horse had one start as a two-year-old."

You are allocated certain boxes to look after and I got him. I also had Viscount and, in fact, strapped Viscount instead when Lonhro won the Caulfield Guineas, but I've been with him ever since and just watched him get better and better," Allard said."

He's a fantastic horse to look after, especially as he's a five-year-old stallion. They can tend to bite and kick, but he's got no malice in him at all."

He's a bit cheeky and arrogant because he knows he is the best. It's probably his personality that I like most about him. I mean, he's a great looking horse but he's also very intelligent and that just shines out of him." While up to 50,000 racegoers could come to Randwick tomorrow to see him off, Allard will not say goodbye for a few days."

I'd say he'll go out (to Woodlands in the Hunter Valley) Monday, so Monday morning after his feed will probably be the last time I see him for a while," he said. "I'll go up to the stud to see him though. I'll miss him too much."