Trainer Kevin Kemp chasing maiden Toowoomba Cup

By Glenn Davis

Trainer Kevin Kemp is hopeful Linthorpe Lad can add another chapter to one of the state’s most successful bloodlines in the Toowoomba Cup on Saturday.

Kemp is chasing his maiden Toowoomba Cup win with Linthorpe Lad which is in stark contrast to his record-equalling four wins on his home track in the Listed Weetwood Handicap.

Linthorpe Lad - a Larry Cassidy mount – has won eight times in 36 starts for owner and breeders Alan and Bernice Cronin.

The Cronins race the six-year-old in a family syndicate along with Kemp’s wife, Judy.

Linthorpe Lad is yet to win over the Toowoomba Cup trip of 2000 metres and has won once in four attempts on the tricky Toowoomba track.

However, he’s shown his consistency with two recent city placings including a last-start third to the Corey and Kylie Geran-trained Nikau Spur in a 2200 metre Benchmark race at Doomben on September 9.

“I’ve won the Weetwood four times but I’ve never won the Toowoomba Cup yet,” Kemp said.

“The best I’ve done in the Toowoomba Cup was a third one year but I’ve only had a couple of runners in it.

“I think Linthorpe Lad is a very good chance and is coming along well and is ready to go.”

Linthorpe Lad is a son of Mahisara out of Rocklet and comes from one of Queensland’s most famous bloodlines.

The family line 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 a Toowoomba Cup win that year.

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

Telltina won 10 races in the middle of the 1990’s before a great stud career producing six winners from seven foals including a Group 3 won from Tellson as well as Tellem, Vocalic, Rockem and Rocklet.

Tellem won three Listed races including the Weetwood Handicap in 2005 and 2007 and the Glasshouse Handicap in 2004.

Kemp also won the 2001 Weetwood Handicap with Startell, a close relative of Rockem and Rocklet.

Kemp rates Toowoomba rival Nikau Spur as the main threat.

Nikau Spur is a cast-off from the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace stable in Melbourne and has won three times for 'Team Geran' including his past two starts at Doomben over 2020 metres and 2200 metres.