Reprinted with permission from The Horse Magazine

Born in England in 1970, Lunchtime came to Australia in 1974 and moved immediately to one of Australia’s most famous Thoroughbred

Studs, “Widden”.

He was perhaps one of the most successful racehorse sires of all time - with progeny winning $11.5 million and as a broodmare sire, with earnings of $13 million.  On the track himself, he was a star, an unbeaten two year old, and a stakes winner of three races.

Lunchtime was by Silly Season, the British Champion Middle Distance Horse of 1965, and out of Royal Occasion, a winner at Ascot.  Perhaps less celebrated is Lunchtime’s huge success as a sire of beautiful, good-moving show horses.  His first hack Mega-Star was Galloping Gourmet - shown twice to Hack Championships at Sydney by Libby Laing (now Sauer) and Judy Dierks, and a Hack Champion at Melbourne with Libby.  “Gordon” was perhaps not the prettiest of the Lunchtimes, but he was probably the most educated and looked such a lovely ride.  The prettiest was probably “Like-A-Lunch”, a Pope Cup winner with Scott Adams, although Bruce Flood’s “Lunchbreak” was another stunner.  Another famous hack son is Debby Bayley’s “Brazen Emperor”.  The most recent Lunchtime to star, is of course Denise Timmerye’s “Banquet”, winner of the Victorian Horse of the year title.

According to staff at Widden Stud, what made the Lunchtime foals special was their very placid nature - no doubt a huge help in the show ring, and this is a characteristic that Bruce Flood emphasises:  “Temperament and movement make them so successful - most are good movers and have reasonably cool temperament, they show the stamp of the sire.  Some sires have one horse that goes well in the show ring, but there have been a string of Lunchtime’s, and they have been winners of big classes, Horse of the Years and Royal shows.  If you were going to be super critical, you might say they lacked a little “quality”.

The last word goes to the poet laureate of Australian racing, Les Carlyon who remembers the horse well:  “I saw Lunchtime several times up at Widden stud.  To me he was the nicest stallion there, even though he was in the shadow of the fashionable sires Bletchingly, Marscay and Vain.”

“He was long and stretchy (unlike a lot of Australian bred sprinters), a liver chestnut who carried a lot of flesh.”  the stud workers would always joke that he was well-named.  He had a sweet nature which he passed on to his progeny.  Spartacus, probably the best sprinter racing at present is a grandson of Lunchtime (through Snippets).  He’s pretty typical - long heavy-set through the body, a broad forehead and very intelligent.  Rick Hore-Lacy, his trainer reckons he counts the laps when they go for a walk and nips him on the elbow when it’s time to go home.”

Photos:

1. Galloping Gourmet & Libby Laing (now Sauer).

2. Debbie Bayley & Brazen Emperor.

3. Banquet & Denise Timmerye.

4. Like a Lunch & Scott Adams.

5. Lunchbreak & Bruce Flood