Point King secures 2024 Melbourne Cup start
Owner Lloyd Williams has moved a step closer to winning an eighth Melbourne Cup after Irish-bred galloper Point King earned a start in the great race with a fighting win at Flemington.
Point King took out the Group 3 Archer Stakes (2500m) on Saturday to earn a ballot exemption into the Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 5.
The Archer Stakes was run on Saturday having been moved from its traditional place on Victoria Derby Day for those gallopers looking for a late ballot exemption into the Cup.
Ridden by Jamie Kah, Point King ($4.60) scored by a neck from Hit The Road Jack ($19) with the $3.40 favourite Berkshire Breeze a further 1-¼ lengths away third.
Williams’ son Nick said he and his father have had a lot of time for Point King, a six-year-old by Australian time that has raced only 11 times.
“We bought him as a yearling. He’s by Zoffany and that year we bought three Zoffanys,” Williams said.
“A good friend of mine in the northern hemisphere talked us into it as we wouldn’t normally buy Zoffanys.
“I sold one of them and his name is Fawkner Park. Two out of the three have been pretty good and one of them has won a big mile race in Ireland.
“This one is a horse we like. He’s still on the up and he’s lightly raced.
“He put four in-a-row together over there at lower grade and up to Listed level and any horse that wins four in-a-row at any level is a good horse.”
Point King started his career with Joseph O’Brien in Ireland and on arrival in Australia had a stint with Kris Lees in Newcastle.
The gelding also spent time with Darren Weir before making his way to current trainers Anthony and Sam Freedman.
As to Point King’s further program towards the Melbourne Cup, Williams said that would be something sorted out by his father and the Freedman father-and-son training operation.
Kah is unbeaten on Point King in two rides having scored on the gelding at Moonee Valley last month.
“He’s a very classy animal,” Kah said.
“When he gets around these horses it really sparks him up.
“He’s got all the talent in the world but he’s a real thinker and once he sorts his brain out, he’ll be right in the race.”
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