By Mike Dillon
Lance Duncan used to be good at motocross. A Christmas Day spill proved that is not the case any more and he is resigned to sticking to horse racing.
The Putaruru-based forestry contractor has been worried he will not be in any condition to accept the trophy if his lifetime dream comes true and his under-rated gelding Mulqueen wins today's $350,000 Blue Star Auckland Cup.
Fuelled by Yuletide cheer, Duncan jumped on a farm bike on his way to feed Mulqueen and pointed it at speed at a large mound of earth.
"I wanted to show the kids how to do it properly."
He ended up gouging chunks out of his face, smashing his teeth and driving the bike's footrest into a leg.
Lying in Waikato Hospital that night he felt the motocross lesson had not been a total waste of time - he had at least shown the kids what not to do.
"I've been a bit worried what I'll look like at Ellerslie on Cup day, it's been embarrassing enough going to the Matamata track for trackwork."
Mulqueen is the strong Auckland Cup tip by a number of New Zealand's serious punters and has this week shortened into equal fourth favourite at $8 in post raceday betting.
Preparing one of the favourites for the Auckland Cup is pressure enough, but Duncan and his family have had a bit of additional thinking to do lately.
Glamour businessman Eric Watson, who is sponsoring the Auckland Cup, has been trying to buy Mulqueen.
The classy stayer was bred by the Duncans and as Mulqueen is a family pet, Lance Duncan was not going to action anything without a democratic meeting.
"The money was good and there's a limit to how much you can turn down, so I sat the whole family down and gave everyone a vote.
"The kids were the ones who decided `no.' They probably thought: `What's the old fella going to do if he hasn't got a horse to potter around with?"
Lance Duncan admits he is a relative newcomer to racing, even though a cousin of longtime publican and racing owner/trainer, the late Bert Duncan.
"I greatly appreciate the help and friendliness I've been offered by the trainers at Matamata, that's probably a bit unusual for someone like me."
Mulqueen proved with his second to Dannevegas in the 2400m Waikato Gold Cup he has the stickability to be a major threat in a race like the Auckland Cup.
He worked hard from the 500m at Te Rapa and was a sitting duck for a fast finish to topple him in the dying strides.
The ability to race handy is Mulqueen's greatest asset.
Pictured: Lance Duncan and Mulqueen. HERALD PICTURE / BRENDON O'HAGAN
Horse Racing: Duncan's riding days are over
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