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Courier-Mail
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Courier-Mail
Hawkesbury preview: Rain brings optimism for Stephen O'Halloran
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. Local trainer Stephen O'Halloran was quite happy to see the rain this week and the track enter the heavy range for his in-form gelding Mal Coupe. The three-year-old was good on the soft when a close second at Canberra first-up this preparation but excelled on the heavy ground when he won his maiden at Bathurst by four-and-a-half lengths. He then followed it up with a solid length second behind Hawker Hall on a Soft 6 at Gosford. With that big win on his resume, Mal Coupe has been a popular on TAB Fixed Odds where he firmed from $5.50 second elect into a $3.20 favourite ahead of Duke Of Bronte ($2.80 to $3.60) in the Essential Asset + Fire Conditional Benchmark 68 Handicap (1100m). 'He loved getting on the heavy track and he was impressive winning at Bathurst,' said O'Halloran. Trainer Stephen O'Halloran is looking for another strong performance from Mal Coupe at Hawkesbury. Picture: Grant Guy The Form: Complete NSW Racing thoroughbred form, including video replays and all you need to know about every horse, jockey and trainer. Find a winner here! 'Even when he got beat at his next start at Gosford, he was pretty good there as well where he ran into a nice horse of Kris Lees'. 'He's very honest and gives a hundred per cent every time he goes around. You can't ask for any more than that. 'I know it's in the heavy range again this week so he's going to get conditions to suit. 'Obviously this race is a benchmark 68 which is stronger than what he has been up against but I don't think he is out of place. 'He's rock hard fit and only carriers 55 and a half kilos. He has ticked the 1100 metres box and the heavy track box. 'It's his home track and hopefully he can get across the line in front. The son of Xtravagant raced well in his first campaign including a debit fifth behind Lady Zodiac and Gunroom at Hawkesbury last October but O'Halloran always knew he would be better this preparation. 'He has definitely come back more mature than he was last preparation and he hasn't put a foot wrong in his three runs so far,' he said. 'He's a home-bred for his owners, Gary and Kay Stevenson, who have been very patient with him. 'He was very immature as a young horse so we have taken our time with him. 'Last preparation was more about education but he showed us a little bit. 'We gave him a nice break and hopefully they reap the rewards with him this preparation.' O'Halloran and the Stevenson's also combine with Rule Of Faith who makes her race debut in the Davo's Dash 2YO Maiden Handicap (1000m). The daughter of Hellbent finished in the second half of the field in her two trials but O'Halloran has seen enough in her trackwork to suggests she has nice ability. 'She is only a two-year-old and was very new when she first came in so she had a couple of short preparations. This campaign is the furthest she has got but she is a nice filly,' he said. 'We gave her two trials. The first at Rosehill when there weren't any in the provincial area and she met good horses there. 'Then she had another trial here where she was caught wide. 'I worked her in blinkers last week and she went really well so she will start with them on. 'Emma Ly has been on in her two trials and knows her well so she will ride her. 'She's an emergency at the moment but I expect there to be a few more scratchings with the way the track is. 'I know she has drawn wide but you probably want to be out there when the track is in the heavy range.' ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Trainer Amanda Turner said her promising gelding Point Score had genuine excuses for the last start defeat and is ready to bounce back. The striking black colt suffered interference on the home turn which led to further complications when fourth behind Zouripper at Kembla 12 days ago. Prior to that, Point Score sat outside the leader before racing away to an impressive win by nearly two lengths from Mysterious Master and Kilbrannan when resuming on a Heavy 8 at Kembla on May 31. 'He was very good winning at Kembla. He seems to be pretty comfortable on the heavy ground,' said Turner. 'I was disappointed last start, not in his performance but rounding the turn, he was just looming in to it lovely when he was hampered and all but came down. 'He got going again and went to sprint but his race plate shifted and he got two nails stuck in his foot. 'He could have dropped right out but to run fourth was a good effort. 'I really looked after him to make sure nothing came from that. His foot is as good as gold so he is right to go now.' The two-year-old son of Blue Point will again get a heavy track when he lines up against older horses in the Brad Widdup Racing Class 1 Handicap (1000m) with Mollie Fitzgerald to continue her association with him. 'Mollie galloped him last Saturday morning and we were very happy with him,' Turner said. Turner will head to Hawkesbury with another youngster in Over The Limit who makes his debut in the Davo's Dash 2YO Maiden Handicap (1000m). The first crop son of Anders trialled nicely when a length third to Warson in his first heat at Warwick Farm on May 26 and followed up with a win from War King in his second heat there on June 10. 'He is doing well (to get to this point) because this is his first serious preparation,' said Turner. 'His nickname is Tiny because he was so small and last time in, we didn't get to do much at all. 'We gelded him and tipped him out for a good break and he is now almost 16 hands so he has really grown. 'I just want him to have a very good race day experience this week. 'I expect he will be much better next time in.'
New Paper
10-06-2025
- Sport
- New Paper
Eruption ready to explode
Racegoers at Sungai Besi should be in for a treat when the Four-Year-Old Sprint Championship comes up on June 15. Invariably, there will be a bully in the pack, as it has often been the case when such aged series are contested. This year, the big boy in this feature over the 1,200m event appears to be Antipodean. With a rating of 103 and 10 wins from 15 outings - that last one coming on April 5 - Antipodean should start as the logical favourite in the showcase event. But the son of Derryn, who has recorded nine of his wins for Simon Dunderdale and only one for his current trainer, Tiang Kim Choi, might have his work cut out. Emerging from the training track on the morning of June 10, a couple of runners threw down the gauntlet. They could be the ones out to spoil the party for Antipodean. In particular, take note of Eruption and Big Union. Sure, they are both considered "lesser lights" on the big stage but, if allowed to throw in some punches, they both could do damage. Eruption would have gone into the notebooks of many at trackside when he ran the 600m in 37.6sec, while Big Union did not put a hoof wrong when disposing of that same trip in an easy 40.6sec. And, drawing a line through their recent showing in races, both have legitimate chances in that big race for four-year-olds. Eruption boasts a stellar record for the first half of the 2025 season. He won a 1,400m race on Jan 26 and he was again successful over that same trip on April 27. Last time on May 18, when sent away as the raging favourite, the son of Xtravagant found one to beat in Pacific Warrior, who took the honours when winning by half a length. Eruption has since trained on and, while the 1,200m might seem a tad short, his style of racing of staying close to the lead should see him involved in the finish. Yes, Antipodean does seem like he is the one to beat. But, should the Lawson Moy-trained Eruption explode over the final furlong, we might just see fireworks. As for Big Union, he is a huge chance in the contest coming up. Indeed and right now, he must seem like gold dust to his trainer Jerome Tan and the Cat Racing Stable. Big Union has been off the board just four times in his 16 outings at Kranji and now at the Selangor Turf Club. Sure, he has yet to knock home a win in all of his six starts in Malaysia - but he has not been left stranded in any of those races. Last time - on June 1 - and in a "high class" event, he went down fighting to Pacific Victory. A run earlier, on May 18, he ran fourth to the very exciting Pacific Vampire in a Supreme race over the 1,100m. The son of Zoustar will enjoy the short and sharp 1,200m he has to cover on June 15, as three of his five career wins at Kranji were over this same trip. He will give his rivals in the big sprint something to think about. So, keep him in your calculations. Outside of that feature event, two runners entered for the Class 4 sprint over the 1,100m were also put through their paces on the training track. They were War Dragon and Cheerful Baby. War Dragon clocked a flashy 37.6sec for the 600m while Cheerful Baby went over that same trip in 38.2sec. Forget the fact that War Dragon is a 10-year-old going on 11. The son of Battle Paint still believes he is one of the young crowd and, when in the mood, he can still raise a pretty neat gallop. We saw it three starts back on Feb 23 when he ran a half-length second to Legend Ninety Two. It has been a long while since War Dragon, who is also prepared by Moy, last won a race but, on the strength of his work, he might be a good one to toss into those novelty bets. As for Cheerful Baby, another Tan ward, he has been sparingly raced and the assignment coming up will be his second in 2025. However, he has been to three trials and his last one on June 4 saw him finish third behind the winner Kim Legend. His claim to fame must be the time he put together four wins in a row when racing at Kranji. The son of Brazen Beau is not going to do that any time soon but, given his work on the training track, he could, in his next few runs, be capable of bringing home his first Malaysian pay cheque. brian@
