Caulfield trainer Mick Price remembered Devon Park Stud owner John Hoare when talented three year-old Worth A Ransom won the VOBIS Gold Eldorado (1300m) at Wangaratta on Sunday.

Hoare died earlier this year after a long illness.  “We encouraged John to pay up for Worth A Ransom so that he would be eligible for Super VOBIS and VOBIS Gold,” Price said.  “They basically double the prizemoney.”

Worth A Ransom (3g Red Ransom – Meritous by Danehill) is a Devon Park homebred and he has won provincial races at Echuca, Geelong and Wangaratta in addition to a Group 3 placing in the Manfred Stakes at Caulfield.  The bonuses have helped boost his prizemoney to over $112,000.

Worth A Ransom defeated Trust In A Gust (Keep The Faith) by a half-head.  The runner-up started an odds-on favourite after previous wins in the VOBIS Gold Eureka Stockade and VOBIS Gold Carat.

“He’s well over 16 hands and a very nice horse,” Price said.  “I think he will get a mile.”

Hoare’s Devon Park drafts topped the Melbourne yearling sale on more than one occasion and, along with wife Betty, he bred and raced numerous top-class horses over the years with Jim Moloney and Price.

Caledonian Boy (Plush) was a Group 1 winner of the Elders Mile in 1987 and more recently Nine Tales (Tale of the Cat) claimed the G2 Sandown Stakes in 2009.

Gaelic Princess (King of Kings) was another stakes performed filly from the same family.  She carried Hoare’s orange and blue colours to placings in the 2003 Blue Diamond Preview and Prelude behind Halibery.

Hoare was a long-standing TBV member and he also bred Group 1 winning filly Lady Of The Pines (Bluebird).  She claimed the 1997 Thousand Guineas at Caulfield for former TBV committee member Emma Boling.

– Karl Patterson

JOHN HOARE