[quote]
On 2003-10-26 15:43, Chrome Prince wrote:
It really cracks me up that the media is now crowning Fields Of Omagh Championship status.

Defier : Won 2 Grp1 races, 3 Grp2 and one LR.
Second by a length at the Valley behind Northerly.
Beaten by Lonhro 4 times,

Beaten by Defier twice, but Lonhro beat him 4 times.

Still has a better record against Defier.

The ONLY area that Lonhro falls down at, is he just doesn't like Moonee Valley.

La Mer: Chrome Prince - Defier has beaten Lonhro home as many times Lonhro has beaten Defier. The score is 4 each and not 4-2 in Lonhro's favour. Defier has finished second in two Cox Plates while Lonhro has managed a third in two Cox Plates.

While I've got no doubt that Lonhro is the better of the two, the difference may not be as great as you indicate - perhaps they will meet again when both horses are at their peak fitness, as both in its autumn campaign earlier this year and during its current campaign Defier has had fitness concerns.

Your comments re Lonhro not liking the Valley are well off the mark - nothing at all to do with the Valley, the fact was Lonhro moved up to challenge at the turn yesterday and once again could not sustain his run in a pressure race - it has happened twice now, yesterday and in the Doncaster Handicap when Grand Armee clearly outsprinted him in the run home.

If Lonhro did not handle the Valley then he simply wouldn't have been where he was at the turn, one length off the lead, but he was and while excuses can be made the facts are that in probablity he will retire to stud next year without ever winning one of the major races in Austrlia and therefore will not go down as a memorable champion. Good he may well be, but champions are made of sterner stuff.