NOVEMBER 8, 2016 \ STARWEEKLY.COM.AU
NEWS + SPORT + PROPERTY GUIDE
Lady luck shines again Mount Macedon’s Lloyd Williams became Australia’s most successful owner of Melbourne Cup winners when Almandin claimed the nation’s greatest horse race. Mr Williams, a five-time owner of Melbourne Cup winners, was trackside at Flemington in top hat and morning suit for Cup day last week – a rare public appearance for a man who normally prefers watching the great race from his Macedon Lodge equine centre. It had been 16 years since jockey Kerrin McEvoy claimed a Melbourne Cup victory. He guided seven-year-old gelding Almandin across the line, overcoming Irish stayer Heartbreak City, with favourite Hartnell the minor placing. The day after his fifth Melbourne Cup triumph, Mr Williams was asked what his strategy was for winning. “Lots of luck, lots of luck and the almighty shining on you … that’s the strategy,” he said. Esther Lauaki 2016 Melbourne Cup winner Almandin with strapper Joe Flannery at Lloyd Williams’ Mt Macedon stables after the big race. (Justin McManus)
■ Kyneton
Cup pictures: Page 3
Rail service cuts denied By Esther Lauaki The government has rejected rumours that Sunbury’s V/Line services may be cut again. Speaking in State Parliament recently, Western Metropolitan MP Bernie Finn called for an ironclad guarantee that V/Line stops at the town would not be cut, amid rumours that commuter services are still under threat. A spokesman for public transport minister Jacinta Allan told Star Weekly that Mr Finn and the Liberal opposition “don’t care about public transport and are trying to create controversy where this is none”.
“We have no plans to remove services from Sunbury,” the spokesman said. “The former Liberal government didn’t start a single major public transport project, order any regional carriages for two years, and ripped $120 million out of V/Line. “We’ve already delivered more than 80 extra services to Sunbury, ordered 48 new carriages, and increased funding to V/Line. “We’re also getting on with the Metro tunnel project, which will enable more services and high-capacity trains to Sunbury.” Overcrowding of the V/Line country services through to Bendigo has been a long-running
issue between city and country commuters since the electrification of the line in 2012. Sunbury commuters campaigned last year against the government’s decision to remove the town as the pick-up point for V/Line trains travelling to and from Melbourne and Bendigo, while their Woodend counterparts lobbied to get Sunbury commuters off V/Line trains travelling to Bendigo from Melbourne. Sunbury passengers were later told that they were welcome aboard V/Line trains, and stops at Sunbury were reinstated. Mr Finn told Star Weekly he believes “rumours” of service cuts surfaced because the
reversal of last year’s commuter ban had only been a temporary measure. “I have asked the minister to provide … an ironclad guarantee that V/Line services will remain servicing the people of Sunbury for the duration of this government,” he said. “V/Line services have been servicing Sunbury for many a long year, and with [its] electrification … the minister announced that there would be a removal of V/Line services to Sunbury. “It does concern me now … I hear rumours around the Sunbury township the V/Line services to Sunbury are under threat again.”