Evergreen galloper Reverend Lovejoy won his second listed Boulder Cup (1760m) at Kalgoorlie on Sunday when he held off the favourite Kincaple for a thrilling victory.

A member of Adam Durrant’s in form Lark Hill stable, Reverend Lovejoy has made a perfect transition back to his native state of Western Australia after a stint in Melbourne with David Hayes.

After failing to beat a runner home in February’s Kilmore Cup, Reverend Lovejoy returned to Durrant and at his second run from a break he scored a narrow, but impressive win in the feature Goldfields event.

He resumed from a spell a fortnight ago in the Boulder Cup when he finished two and a half lengths behind Kincaple – with natural improvement from the run he was able to bridge the cap and nose out that runner this time around.

“He’s such a great competitor and a real genuine racehorse,” Durrant said of Reverend Lovejoy.

“If you were to compare him to a football player, he wouldn’t be a Chris Judd or Ben Cousins – he’d be one of those unheralded players, who gets in and under and gets the job done.”

Reverend Lovejoy won the Boulder and Coolgardie Cups in 2009 before finishing out of a place in the Kalgoorlie Cup. Durrant will see how Reverend Lovejoy pulls up but he’s likely to back up his star in Wednesday’s $130,000 Hannan’s Handicap (1400m).

Durrant has won two Boulder Cups (Reverend Lovejoy twice) and two Coolgardie Cups (Reverend Lovejoy and Inarticulate) as well as a Hannan’s Handicap (Keyton Grace).

Reverend Lovejoy, a spritely eight-year-old, is now the winner of 16 races and placegetter in a further 11 from 57 starts and earner of $627,825.

That’s an outstanding return for his connections considering he cost just $6,500 at the 2005 Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale.

Reverend Lovejoy, bred and sold by Robbie and Jody Gray’s Rangeview Stud, is one of four stakes winners for the beautifully bred Danehill sire Love a Dane (ex Tristalove).

He is from a three time winning Bold Rancher half sister to Perth stakes winner Bellavega – a seven time winner at distances from 1200 to 1600 metres.

Bellavega is the dam of the triple group winner Heed the Toll – a winner of no fewer than 10 races and almost $500,000.

Winner: Reverend Lovejoy
Breeding: Love a Dane-Bold Joy (Bold Rancher)
Race: Boulder RC Boulder Cup LR (1760m)
Sold for: $6,500
Sale: 2005 Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale
Vendor: Rangeview Stud
Buyer: Neville Parnham
Earnings: $627,825
Owner(s): KJ Bradford, RM Williamson, MJ Petkovich, T Wilson & IK Loxton
Trainer: Adam Durrant (Lark Hill)