Co-trainer John Hawkes has admitted that he would consider scratching Our Boy Malachi from the 2014 Razor Sharp Handicap if the Royal Randwick track is rated in the heavy range on Saturday.
Our Boy Malachi could be scratched from the Razor Sharp Handicap if the rain persists in Sydney heading into Saturday’s racing. Photo by: Steve Hart
Our Boy Malachi stamped himself as a clear favourite for the Razor Sharp Handicap after he recorded impressive wins in the Turner Freeman Lawyers Fly Handicap (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens on November 1 and the Listed Starlight Stakes (1100m) at the same venue on November 29, but the Top Echelon gelding has no experience on rain affect going.
The six-year-old started his racing career under the care of John O’Sing in North Queensland and in his 17 race starts to date he has not run on a track rated worse than a dead five.
Hawkes admits that it would be a gamble running Our Boy Malachi on a heavy track in the Razor Sharp Handicap this weekend and he revealed that Team Hawkes may elect to send the talented sprinter to the spelling paddock rather than run him in the Listed event this weekend.
“If it’s going to be heavy then we will decide if we are going to run,” Hawkes told TVN.
“We’ve just got to decide if we roll the dice on a heavy track or not.
“You would think it’s going to be heavy.
“It rained last night and all this morning and the tracks haven’t had a chance to dry out.”
While a heavy Royal Randwick track may decrease the winning chances of Our Boy Malachi in the Razor Sharp Handicap, trainers of the majority his rival sprinters in the Listed event will be hoping that the track remains rain affected.
Howmuchdoyouloveme will be returning to the races for the first time since he suffered an injury during the running of the Group 3 Healy Stakes (1200m) at Eagle Farm in June, but won the 2013 edition of the Healy Stakes as well as the Drumbeats At Lyndhurst Handicap (1010m) in Brisbane on rain affected surfaces, while Dothraki won the Group 3 Gold Coast Guineas (1200m) on a heavy track and was also placed on a bottomless heavy 10 in the Listed Gosford Guineas (1200m).
Our Boy Malachi is currently available at 2014 Razor Sharp Handicap odds of $1.85 and is a clear favourite from Dothraki ($3.70), Howmuchdoyouloveme ($10), That’s A Good Idea ($12), Red Excitement ($15) and Fare Well ($15).
