A golden ticket to the Melbourne Cup was up for grabs in Saturday's Group III Lexus Archer Stakes (2500m) at Flemington, and it will be the Williams family tracking a well-worn path to the first Tuesday in November with the import Point King (IRE).
Ridden by Jamie Kah for Anthony and Sam Freedman, Point King (IRE) found himself in front a long way from home. Looking likely to be swamped, the 6-year-old son of Zoffany found a second wind to defy the veteran hurdler Hit The Road Jack (Jakkalberry) by a neck with the favourite Berkshire Breeze (Mastercraftsman) one and a quarter lengths back in third.
Raced by Lloyd Williams and James Packer, Point King (IRE) opened his Australian account at his previous start in the Travis Harrison Cup at Moonee Valley on August 10.
Point King advances his record to five wins and a second from 11 starts with earnings of $357,889.
"It was a good win. Jamie gave him a great ride. I thought once he got to the front he looked to idle a bit," Nick Williams said.
"He's done a good, stepping up from 2000m at Moonee Valley. It is a sold 2500m at Flemington, and to do that, in a genuinely run race in the conditions, I thought he did a good job.
"He’s a horse we’ve thought a lot of. We bought him as a yearling. He’s by Zoffany. That year we bought three Zoffanys. 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 of the three have been pretty good, and one of them won a big mile race in Ireland.
“He’s still on the up, is lightly raced and is probably better on top of the ground.
“A lot of people have had their hand in this horse. Joseph O’Brien had him first, Darren Weir did some pre-conditioning work when he arrived, and Kris Lees did some work with him. All of them and the Freedmans have done some terrific work with him.”
Point King (IRE) was a promising 3-year-old for Joseph O’Brien, breaking his maiden by four and a quarter lengths at Fairyhouse on June 10. The son of Zoffany added a conditions race at Leopardstown over 13f eleven days later, then made it three on the bounce made it three on the bounce in the Listed Vinnie Roe Stakes over 14f at Leopardstown.
Bred and offered for sale by Rockfield Farm, Point King was an £80,000 purchase for O'Brien at the 2020 GoffsOrby Yearling Sale.
His dam Loved (Galileo) is a sister to Group II Beresford Stakes and Group II Derby Trial winner Battle Of Marengo.
