Our Boy Malachi is set to make his debut at Group 1 level in the 2015 BTC Cup and jockey Tommy Berry is confident that the talented sprinter can record a win at the highest level of racing during the 2015 Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival.
Our Boy Malachi started his winter campaign with a victory in the Hall Mark Stakes at Royal Randwick on Saturday. Photo by: Steve Hart
Our Boy Malachi improved his impressive record to 17 wins from 19 starts when he recorded a strong victory in the Group 3 Hall Mark Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday and he will now be given an opportunity at Group 1 level in the BTC Cup (1200m) on May 9, the Group 1 Doomben 10,000 (1350m) on May 23 and the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) on June 6.
Berry rode Our Boy Malachi under race conditions for the first time in the Hall Mark Stakes and he believes that the Top Echelon gelding will stack up during the 2015 Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival and could even be competitive in the Group 1 sprints in the spring.
“I do,” Berry told Racing Ahead when asked if Our Boy Malachi can record a Group 1 victory.
“I’m not sure about spring or autumn Group 1s yet, but obviously if he wins them in Queensland it warrants his chance.
“He was quiet soft on Saturday and he has a lot of improvement there, so I am looking forward to seeing what he has got to offer in Queensland.
“He can’t do anymore then what he has done thus far and he is quite exciting.
“I think that he will be very competitive when he does go to Melbourne and Sydney for the autumn and spring carnivals.
“He will tell us how good he is because he tries so hard every time and if he doesn’t win he just purely isn’t good enough.”
Our Boy Malachi was able to run down Rain Affair in the final stages of the Hall Mark Stakes to record his fourth win from as many race starts under the care of Team Hawkes, but Berry admitted after the race that the five-year-old never felt comfortable on the wet track.
Berry believes that Our Boy Malachi is capable of getting through a wet track, but he is confident that the Hall Mark Stakes winner is far better suited on a firm surface and is hopeful that the rain will stay away during the winter.
“I have ridden him in a bit of his work, a couple of jump outs and a trial before Saturday and he was very, very comfortable on firmer going,” Berry said.
“On Saturday he lost his action a few times and never felt overly comfortable on the track.
“It is not that he doesn’t get through soft tracks, but he is just a winner and that is why he won on Saturday.
“It is not about what he has been beating, but how he has been beating them.”
Our Boy Malachi is currently available at 2015 Stradbroke Handicap odds of $4.50 and is a clear favourite from Lucky Hussler ($9), Craftiness ($11), Delectation ($11), Srikandi ($13) and Generalife ($13).
