‘Rockhampton Rocket’ Our Boy Malachi returns to Queensland this Saturday to run in the Group 1 $500,000 UBET BTC Cup (1200m) at Doomben.
Our Boy Malachi returns to Queensland to run in the G1 BTC Cup at Doomben. Photo by Steve Hart.
The former Rockhampton trained sprinter won thirteen of his first fifteen starts while under the care of Rockhampton trainer John O’Sing before being transferred to the Hawkes Racing Team at Rosehill in Sydney at the end of 2014.
Our Boy Malachi has had four starts for Team Hawkes for four wins and returned from a spell to score a convincing win in the Group 3 $150,000 Ticketek Hall Mark Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on April 18.
Co-trainer Michael Hawkes rated Our Boy Malachi a “a serious galloper” after the Hall Mark Stakes wins and can’t see why the six year old chestnut can’t continue his winning streak.
“Why can’t he keep winning?,” Hawkes told the Gold Coast Bulletin.
“He has done everything right and the biggest thing is the horse is a winner.
“It’s been a phenomenal story and if we could win a Group 1 with him that would be the icing on the cake.”
At his first start for Team Hawkes Our Boy Malachi scored an easy win in a 1100m Rosehill Flying on November 1 last year before stepping up to Listed company for wins in the $100,000 Starlight Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill a month later and in the $100,000 Thoroughbred Breeders NSW Razor Sharp (1200m) at Randwick on December 13.
Top Sydney jockey Tommy Berry rode the Top Echelon gelding in his Hall Mark Stakes win and believes he is quite capable of being very competitive at Group 1 level.
“I am looking forward to seeing what he has got to offer in Queensland,” Berry said.
“He can’t do anymore then what he has done thus far and he is quite exciting.”
Bookmakers at Ladbrokes.com.au agree with Berry and have installed Our Boy Malachi as the $4.20 favourite for the weight for age BTC Cup ahead of smart mare Srikandi at $5.50 and Victorian sprinter Trust In A Gust at $6.50.
Srikandi laid her claims for another successful Winter Carnival campaign with a scintillating first up win in the Group 2 $200,000 SMEG Victory Stakes (1200m) at the Gold Coast on April 25 while Darren Weir’s dual Group 1 winner Trust In A Gust was short of a run when beaten first up when second to Red Bomber the $150,000 VOBIS Gold Sprint (1200m) at Caulfield on April 18.
