MEMORY OF SIMONE MONTGOMERIE SHINES BRIGHTLY AS I'M TOO HOT WINS FOR HER FAMILY AND FRIENDS

By Darren Winningham | Tuesday, August 6, 2019

Greg Irvine knew Simone Montgomerie was shining down on the six-year-old gelding I’m Too Hot when he won 1000m sprint at Fannie Bay yesterday named after Simone and sponsored by Seppelt.

Irvine is a co -owner of I’m Too Hot, along with his great friends Peter and Lee-Anne Montgomerie and other owners. Irvine pointed out that Peter Montgomerie was a great horseman in his own right having trained On A Jeune who ran second to the champion Makybe Diva in the 2005 Melbourne Cup).

Irvine told me “It is just a huge thrill to win this race today. We went to Simone’s garden just outside the stable last night and had a BBQ and some drinks. We sought a bit of help from above and we got a little bit of help in the straight … and to smash the track record it was quite a thrill”.

I’m Too Hot, with jockey Brendon Davis on board won the Seppelt Montgomerie Lightning Plate by 6.5 lengths in a race record time of 56.07 seconds.

Simone Montgomerie was killed in a tragic race fall on Darwin Cup Day, 2013.

Irvine explained, ’I have been coming to the Darwin Carnival for eight years now and unfortunately six years ago it was one of the hardest days I have had at a racecourse”

Irvine has a unique relationship with the family.

“I grew up in a neighbouring town to the Montgomerie's Streaky Bay. I grew up in Ceduna. We used to rock around the races together.”

“They have been lifetime friends of mine. I have been involved with the family with a lot of events and fundraising since the accident. We had a bike ride that went from Streaky Bay (South Australia) to Darwin in the Northern Territory.

“I was heavily involved with the main bike ride. I am not that much of a good cyclist, but I am a good organiser. I still spend a lot of time with the family and with Brendon Davis riding the horse today and Gary Clarke training him – everything just lined up well for a wonderful and emotional win”.

“I’m sure she (Simone) was shining down on us today. We think about her every day and it was just so exciting to win her race, I thought there had to be something that was going to catch it coming down the straight, but he just kept going’’ Lee-Anne Montgomerie said.

Such is the respect for the memory of Simone Montgomerie the Darwin Turf Club officially named The Simone Montgomerie Walk at Fannie Bay Racecourse in 2017. Chief Minister Michael Gunner and the family of Simone Montgomerie where present for the unveiling of the plaque at an emotional ceremony.

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