Our Boy Malachi to make his own luck in BTC Cup

Favourite Our Boy Malachi will be out to make his own luck in the Group 1 $500,000 UBET BTC Cup (1200m) at Doomben on Saturday.

On pace runner Our Boy Malachi can make his own luck in the BTC Cup at Doomben. Photo by Steve Hart.

On pace runner Our Boy Malachi can make his own luck in the BTC Cup at Doomben. Photo by Steve Hart.

Co-trainer John Hawkes believes that Our Boy Malachi’s ability to take up a position close to the lead is a huge asset, especially as he is stepping up to Group 1 company for the first time.

“Like all big races you need a bit of luck, it’s a big field around Doomben, but he is an one pacer and puts himself there,” Hawkes told the Sportsman.

“There’s a lot of depth in there, it’s a good race, a lot of horses will be very competitive.”

Our Boy Malachi is the winner of seventeen races from nineteen starts and all but two of those starts saw the Top Echelon gelding racing on the pace in the first three.

Top Sydney jockey Tommy Berry rode Our Boy Malachi for the first time for a win in the Group 3 $150,000 Ticketek Hall Mark Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on April 18 and had him sitting just off the leader Rain Affair.

Our Boy Malachi has drawn midfield in the fourteen horse field and Berry should have no trouble going forward from barrier six.

Hawkes, who trains in partnership with his two sons Wayne and Michael, believes that it is a huge advantage for a horse that has the ability to race on the pace.

“Most of speed runners win more than they lose and most backmarkers lose more than they win,” Hawkes said.

“It’s a pretty easy scenario.”

Team Hawkes took over the former Queensland trained sprinter in the latter half of last year and added four more wins to his already impressive thirteen win record.

Hawkes was keen to keep his winning momentum going and tried to place him according with successful results.

“With him it was always about making sure he is competitive and winning a race and he kept doing that,” Hawkes said.

“He wasn’t quite ready for the Sydney Carnival and it suited him better going to Queensland.”

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.

The six year old chestnut then resumed in the Group 3 Hall Mark Stakes for an impressive win that sees him go into Saturday’s weight for age BTC Cup as the clear cut favourite.

Following the scratching today of the $8.50 chance Trust In A Gust, Our Boy Malachi has firmed into $2.60 ahead of top Melbourne mare Srikandi at $4.40 with smart three year old Scissor Kick the only other runner under double figures at $8.

BTC Cup market order at Ladbrokes.com.au: $2.60 Our Boy Malachi, $4.40 Srikandi, $8 Scissor Kick, $11 Bring Me The Maid, $12 Sacred Star, $15 El Roca, Knoydart, $26 Temple Of Boom, $31 Fontelina, $34 Hot Snitzel, Big Money, $41 Nostradamus, Cape Kidnappers, $61 Villa Verde.

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.