Runaway winner of the 2,000 Guineas, Talented Tony K will be occupying one of the starting stalls for this year’s running of the Lotto Classic run for the Governor’s Cup. The race is scheduled to be run next Saturday, May 24, over 10 furlongs.

Confirmation that Talented Tony K will take part in this race came from the trainer of the three-year-old, Traditional – Ocean Liner bay colt, Lorne Kirlew. Speaking with the Complete Racing Guide, Kirlew indicated that his charge who will be racing for the first time running over two turns is going to run in the Lotto Classic.

“Barring anything untoward, Talented Tony K will be nominated and will run in the Lotto Classic,” Kirlew said. Kirlew knows fully well that if Talented Tony K participates in the Lotto Classic he will carry the allotted top weight of 57.0 kilogrammes and as a result will be giving lumps of weight to his rivals.

“Yes, I fully understand and know the conditions of the Governor’s Cup but what I am seeing of ‘Talented’ on the racetrack gives me and other members of his connection, the belief that he can compete in this race and win. By entering him in this race, we are going for the win,” a confident Kirlew said.

Kirlew, who won his first Classic race when Talented Tony K easily won the 2,000 Guineas on April 12 by seven expanding lengths using Lasix for the first time, says he is very happy with how Talented Tony K has been going at exercise.

“It has been approximately six weeks since his run in the Guineas. ‘Talented’ has rested and is very happy. On the exercise track, he has shown me steady improvement, easily going through his paces and to say that I am pleased with his continued progress would be an understatement,” the young conditioner said.

While Talented Tony K was partnered to victory in the 2,000 Guineas by Omar Walker, in the Lotto Classic he will be the mount of the man dubbed by racing fans as the ‘big race jockey’, Shane Ellis in the Governor’s Cup.

“As we all know Omar (Walker) who did an excellent job in the Guineas, when he also rode his first Classic winner, took the personal decision to develop his skills overseas in Canada. As I have said before, I wish him all the best and hope that he becomes a better rider having some international experience under his belt.

“But as a trainer, I have to ensure that my horse gets the best rider possible and I strongly believe that Shane (Ellis) is the man for the job. He has the experience and even more so for me he has personal experience with Talented Tony K as he has exercised him on several occasions as a two-year-old and now during his three-year-old career. I am confident in the ability of Ellis to get the job done,” Kirlew said.