By Peter Owen
Two years ago Noosa Springs member Paul Lanskey was looking forward to Melbourne’s spring racing carnival with great excitement. Vow And Declare, the young stayer he owns, had just run a great second in the Caulfield Cup and was strongly fancied for the Melbourne Cup.
It’s history now that Vow And Declare would go on to win the 2019 Melbourne Cup in a close finish, boost his prizemoney earnings to nearly $6 million and give Paul Lanskey the greatest thrill of his life.
This year it’s different.
Paul Lanskey won’t be at Flemington courtesy of Covid-19 regulations. And neither will Vow And Declare, who is recuperating after a series of injuries culminating in a tear in his nearside front tendon.
Following his historic Melbourne Cup victory, Vow And Declare spelled, then returned in the autumn of 2020 with an excellent third in the 2000m Australian Cup at Flemington.
Buoyed by that effort, Paul and his fellow owners – many of them members of his own family – took their champion to Sydney where he ran in the 2000m Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick.
Unknown to them at the time, Vow And Declare had tried to jump a crossing in that race and pulled a muscle in his back. He finished only ninth.
He was still suffering from the injury when he campaigned unsuccessfully in last year’s Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup. Finally free of the back ailment he resumed racing last month, only to become a victim of the tendon tear.
“It’s only a small hole, but it meant we had to immediately treat it and spell him,” Paul said. “It’s a bit disappointing but he’ll be back in the autumn – hopefully fit and as good as ever.”
Paul said connections considered retiring Vow And Declare, but vets assured them he’d make a full recovery.
“He’s still a six-year-old and he’s raced only 23 times,” Paul said. “There’s still a lot to look forward to.”
Paul Lanskey, who runs a major construction company with offices in Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney and Auckland, owns Geblitz, the dam of Vow And Declare, and has interests in several other racehorses.
He also bred the promising Star Witness filly Nana Jenn, a half-sister to Vow And Declare, who won her first start at Moe before running well in a Group 2 1600m race for fillies at Flemington a fortnight ago.
Paul joined Noosa Springs when he moved from the Gold Coast several years ago. He’s also a member of Victoria’s National Golf Club on the Mornington Peninsula.
He took up golf as a teenager and, like many young parents, gave it away while the children were growing up and his business expanding. He resumed playing in his early 50s, and says the game is an important part of his life.
“I’d play six days a week if I had the time,” he said.
“Noosa Springs is a lovely course and I love playing there with my sons when they visit,” he said. “I’m pretty much a social golfer these days.”
Playing off a 16 handicap, Paul says his greatest challenge is consistency.
“Sometimes I’ll have a good first nine, then shoot nine worse on the second nine,” he said.
And where will he be when the field lines up on the first Tuesday of November for one of the world’s great races?
“My staff and I always stopped work to watch the race,” he said. “The last couple of years I’ve been at Flemington, of course, so this year I might just pop down to Brisbane to enjoy the day with them.”
George in fine form for Bowl
Noosa’s George Giblett warmed up for this week’s elite Keperra Bowl in Brisbane by claiming last week’s Mount Coolum Men’s Open in spectacular style.
Giblett, the current Noosa club champion, holed out for an eagle on his last hole – Mt Coolum’s ninth – to shoot a round of 71. He was the only player in the field of 116 to break par.
He followed that with an outstanding 65 at Noosa in Saturday’s Monthly Medal. Despite his handicap of plus 3, Giblett tied with Warick Redwood on 68, only to miss out on a countback.
Giblett is joined in the Keperra Bowl – arguably Queensland’s premier amateur event – by his Noosa teammate Tamatoa Stansfield and a host of Sunshine Coast stars, including Peregian’s Cassie Porter.
The event, played at Keperra Golf Club, finishes on Friday. Previous winners include Marc Leishman, Andrew Dodt, Charlie Dann and Jake Higginbottom.
Caitlyn wins her first title
Young Caitlyn Wheatley teamed with club champion Steven Burr to win this year’s mixed foursomes championship at Noosa Springs.
Caitlyn and Steven combined to shoot a score of 82 – one better than runners-up Jeff and Maree Saunders, with Reon Weir and Judy Buss a stroke further back in third place.
Andrew and Sandie Tregaskis won the net championship with a score of 69.5.
Club competitions
NOOSA
Tuesday 5 October
Men’s stableford: A grade – Bradley Juillerat 42c/b, James Anderson 42, David Conolly 41, Justin Smith 40c/b; B grade – Dave Butler 44, Peter Baynes 40c/b, Greg Wilson 40, Graham Hillan 38c/b; C grade – Ray Pettigrove 43, Greg Moore 39, Bob Hobart 38, Dave Wellington 37c/b.
Wednesday 6 October
Vets stableford: A grade – Mike Quincey 39, Pete Blair 38, Doug Rogers 37c/b; B grade – Dieter Hoffman 41, Phil Grieve 39c/b, Dick Patterson 39; C grade – John Dover 41, Frank Thorne 38c/b, John Maree 38.
Thursday 7 October
Women’s stroke: A grade – Ann Tummon 71, Tash Baker 75c/b, Rungratree Cox 65; B grade – Karen Haynes 74, Judy Patterson 75c/b, Gail Stokes 75c/b; C grade – Tracey Skeppstrom 70, Jeanette Dehnan 71c/b, Maris Dunworth 71.
Saturday 9 October
Men’s stroke: A grade – Warick Redwood 68c/b, George Giblett 68, Richard Van Den Heuvel 69; B grade – Chris Misios 67, Alan Burton 68, Greg Strang 69; C grade – Brian Clothier 66, Barrie Cooper 68, Terry Farrell 69; women’s: Tash Baker 70, Lisa Joseph 74c/b, Paula Jeffrey 74c/b.
NOOSA SPRINGS
Monday 4 October
Men’s 4BBB stableford: J. Betar & B. Bateson 46, M. Yann & E. Bailey 45c/b, P. Betar & I. Gow 45. Women’s stableford: Dorothy Marlow 40c/b, Jennifer Richards 40, Jenny Aitken 38c/b.
Tuesday 5 October
Men’s stableford: Robert Dutton 38c/b, John Taylor 38, Alex Hackett 36; women’s: Kerry McFarland 42, Marylou Orloff 33, Maralyn Beamish 29.
Wednesday 6 October
Men’s stableford: Simon Hennessy 40c/b, Michael Hart 40, Geoffrey Phillips 39; women’s: Toni Liddy 40, Sandra Probert 39, Jill Wilson 38.
Thursday 7 October
Men’s stableford: John Taylor 39, Luke Cummings 38, John Mulquiney 36c/b.
Saturday 9 October
Men’s stableford: Damien Nicholson 43c/b, John Buchanan 43, John Mulquiney 41c/b; women’s: Margie Charlton 39c/b, Ruby Jaede 39c/b, Kini Naughton 39.
Sunday 10 October
Men’s Sunday Series, stableford: Ryza Garbacz 41, Raymond Brown 40, William Coman 36; women’s: Di Cutting 34, Beryl Rowan 33, Dee Pugh 29c/b.
COOROY
Tuesday 5 October
Vets and women’s 4-person Ambrose, 9 holes: Andrew Aves, Carole Bravo, Kelvin Brittain, Joyce Mackay 26; Kevin Crundall, Wendy O’Hare, Jocelyn Rabjohns, Sue Sendall 27.375.
Wednesday 6 October
Vets stableford: A grade – Dave Lyons 42, Peter Jeucken 39, Kelvin Brittain 38; B grade – David Attrill 39c/b, Rex Williams 39, Trevor Kenneally 38; C grade – Graeme Osborne 44, Kevin Crundall 41, Ron Blount 40.
Thursday 7 October
Women’s stableford: Janine Wynwood 39, Terri Cairns 37c/b.
Saturday 9 October
Men’s 4BBB stableford: B. LeMoy & B. Price 49, Gannon & Gannon 47; women’s stableford: Kate Sawrey 42, Deb Nelson 40.
