James McDonald has stolen the show at Rosehill today by collecting five winners for the day for the first time when Hauraki won the Group 2 $175,000 Tulloch Stakes (2000m).
Tulloch Stakes winner Hauraki was the fifth winner for the day for James McDonald. Photo by Steve Hart.
Hauraki is one of four winners sporting the royal blue of Godolphin that McDonald carried to victory along with Generalife, Hartnell and Medcaut.
Hartnell took out the Group 1 $1.5m The BMW (2400m), Generalife won the Group 3 $150,000 Irresistible Pools & Spas Star Kingdom Stakes (1200m) while Medcaut was successful in $85,000 theraces.com.au Handicap (1400m) making it a huge day for trained John O’Shea as well.
McDonald’s other winner was on Catkins for Chris Waller in the Group 2 $175,000 Ascend Sales Trophies Emancipation Stakes (1500m).
“The first year I was here I rode four in a day and I have never got close to that again,” McDonald said.
“It’s a massive thrill and I can’t do it without the blue colours on.”
“They have done a marvellous job and it is a great thrill to be a small part of it.”
O’Shea has no doubts that Hauraki will run out a strong 2400m and will back up the Reset colt in the Group 1 $2m ATC Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick next week on the first day of ‘The Championships’.
“We believe he can,” O’Shea said of Harukis chances of winning the Australian Derby next week.
“I thought he was pretty strong through the line here today. We have always felt that he could win a Derby and we were trying to be a little greedy in trying to win an Australian Guineas along the way but that didn’t quite work out.”
“Got him home and got him going well and hopefully next Saturday he acquits himself well.”
McDonald had Hauraki ($5 favourite) settled midfield and stuck to the inside in the straight before splitting runners and careering away to record a two and half lengths win over Omeros ($6.50) with Merion ($6.50) a further one length away in third spot.
