Kemp hopeful Linthorpe Lad can win the Mooloolaba Cup

By Glenn Davis

Kevin Kemp is confident the hat-trick chasing Linthorpe Lad can make a winning open company debut in the Mooloolaba Cup at the Sunshine Coast on Saturday.

Linthorpe Lad has won his past two starts in Benchmark races at Eagle Farm and Doomben and will be out to continue one of the state’s most successful breeding lines in the Mooloolaba Cup over 1600 metres.

Linthorpe Lad - a Larry Cassidy mount – was bred by one of Kemp’s greatest supporters, Alan and Bernice Cronin, who have shared in many successes with the gelding’s family.

The five-year-old’s mother Rocklet was a six-time winner and a daughter of stakes winning mare, Telltina.

The family traces back to Bernalla who won the Prime Minister’s Cup when conducted over 2000 metres at the Gold Coast in 1979 as well as his Toowoomba Cup win that year.

Bernalla got her name from Bernice and Alan and went on to become one of the state’s top brood mares of her era, producing six winners from nine foals, including Telltina.

“I’ve known Alan and Bernice since the mid 1970’s when they had horses with the late Norm McCallum, who I used to work for,” Kemp said.

Although Linthorpe Lad is a home bred, Kemp hasn’t ruled out heading for the Magic Millions in January.

“He’s going well and just keeps improving so he’s ready to win again,” Kemp said.

“He’s a QTIS registered horse but he’s a home bred and was never nominated for the Magic Millions.

“But, he can get into one of the Magic Millions races if he wins a wild card like the Shoot Out.”

Kemp admitted he was surprised with the ease of Linthorpe’s recent win at Doomben on November 5.

“He won by more than three lengths after just winning the start before at Eagle Farm,” he said.

“They were both over 1600 metres but his last win was a lot easier than I expected.”

Although Linthorpe Lad has hit a purple patch of form, Kemp is not getting ahead of himself and has no plans yet to head to next year’s Queensland winter carnival.

“We’ll get over Saturday first before we look too far ahead,” he said.

Telltina won 10 races in the mid-1990’s before a great career at stud with six winners from her seven foals including Group 3 winner Tellson as well as Tellem Vocalic, Rockem and Rocklet.

Tellem won three times at Listed level in the Weetwood Handicap in 2005 and 2007 and the Glasshouse Handicap in 2004.

Kemp also won the 2001 Weetwood Handicap and Listed Brisbane Handicap at Eagle Farm in 2002 with Startell, a close relative of Rocklet and Rockem.