Lodge Prince

Brindle, born: 1984-04, hight: XX cm, weight: 33 kg

Lodge Prince won his first competition in Sep 1985, the 48 runner Athy Aluminium Unraced Stake at Newbridge. he clocked 29.75 in the final and then joined Philip Rees at Wimbledon. In graded company he was shown brilliant early pace before cramping. Gary Baggs, then unattached, saw enough to recommend the dog to Tawfeq Al Aali, who transferred him to the Baggs range.

Prince“s NGRC open race career began with a second place in a sprint at Swindon. Although it was only a minor open, the field included the talented Damiens Slave and Daleys Gold. In fact the big brindle was beaten in his first half dozen opens before coming good at Ramsgate with an eight length victory in 27.39 for the 450 meters. He had given a glimpse of his ability in a sprint trial at Wembley, though, when going under the track record. No major fancy prior the the 1986 Mirror Derby he sliced 17 sots off the track record with 28.34 in the qualifying round. He was beaten in the first round, but won his second round heat in 29.08, and the fastest quarter final in 28.55.
He was drawn in the tough semi that included both Tico and Fearless Action. He trapped behind Tico, and collided with Sunley Express at the first turn.
Lodge Prince battled with Express for the third qualifying place, but failed by a neck. He duly won the consolation in 28.67, two spots faster than both the final and invitation races.

Prince returned to Ireland for Shelbourne“s Champion Stakes, where he broke the 550 clock in the heats. The old cramping problem cost Prince a place in the final. He won the consolation in style by lowering the clock to 30.03.
He was invited for the Dundalk International and broke the 500 yard track record in a trial. In the big race, he was in second place going to the bend when the hare broke down.Prince escaped into the middle of the track and galloped around for five minutes before he was caught. Baggs had no option other than to withdraw the dog from the re-run.
A joint ante post favorite for the 1986 Derby he won his first round heat in 30.36 and the second in 30.67.
Lodge Prince had never been a particularly lucky dog, but his elimination in the third round after his racing jacket came loose surely summed up his fantastically-paced animal.

Prince was sold for just under £50,000 after the Irish Derby. After a string of misses, his first pups were born in Feb 1987. His first crop of pups were disappointing though gradually a number of good open racers began to come through. He reached the top 20 of the sires carts for the first time in 1989, and made the top 10 in each of the two subsequent years, when he was the highest placed 1984 whelp.
Things went quiet following a cooling by Irish breeders and a legal wrangle over ownership. The exploits of Farloe Melody forced its settlement and a renewed advertising campaign.
Lodge Prince throws mainly for the sort of distances over which he raced, 525 to 550, though there are many sprinters and stayers.

His comrades included the useful North Line, who finished runner-up in the 1986 Irish Produce Stakes and won the Bernard Barry Nursery Stake and Whitefild Boy, winner of the Austin Stacks at Tralee.