Amazing tribute to lost legend

ALBION PARK will pay an amazing tribute to Gavin Lang on Saturday night.

Such was Lang’s reach, the Queensland club has named each of its races in honour the Victorian legend, proving he belongs to the industry, not his home state.

Widely-regarded as the finest driver to grace a sulky in the southern hemisphere, Lang passed away last Friday following a gallant battle with a rare form of Lymphoma.

Renowned for his cool, calm and collective driving style – earning him the moniker Ice Man – Lang was also dubbed ‘Group One Gavin’ for his ability to win top shelf events.

While the vast majority of his Group One triumphs were registered in Victoria, Lang was no stranger to winning features during his regular trips to Queensland.

It is through those wins Lang will be remembered this weekend.

Beginning with the Vale Gavin Lang Pace to open the card, the various events will include names of the runners Lang won some of the Sunshine State’s majors.

One of the lesser-known of Lang’s feature winners is Sweet Molly Oshea, which he partnered to capture the 2015 Four-Year-Old Champion at Albion Park, which will close out the night.

Lang’s Queensland credits which have resulted in race names include:

1994 Australian Pacing Gold Final with Bottle Of Bubbly

2000 Sunshine Sprint and Winter Cup with Persistency

2007 Australian Pacing Gold Final with Kept For Pleasure

2009 Queensland Derby and 2010 Four and Five-Year-Old Champion with Captain Joy

2015 The Blacks A Fake with Philadelphia Man

2016 Sunshine Sprint with Hectorjayjay

Lang also trained Black Duke which overcame a 10-metre handicap to beat Persistency in a standing start on August 3, 2002.

Darrell Alexander drove Black Duke while Lang partnered Persistency.

In what many hope is an omen, Hectorjayjay is poised to make his racing return in the Hectorjayjay Open Pace.

The classy son of Dream Away has been sidelined since Lang trained and drove him to win in Kilmore on June 30, 2018.

Transferred to Jack Butler during the interim, Hectorjayjay has had two trials leading up to his comeback in which he has drawn barrier seven – the outside of the front row.

“He’s feeling terrific and is as ready to go as he can be at this stage of his preparation,” Butler said. “He’s certainly as fit as he can get without that hard racing.

“Gavin is an absolute champion and it would be nice if the horse can win for him.”