MASHAHEER dealt punters a knockout blow by winning a maiden plate at odds of $100 for Hamilton trainer Darren Kolpin at Camperdown on Saturday.
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The son of Snitzel was purchased by stable clients from the David Hayes for $640,000 at the 2017 Sydney Easter Inglis yearling sale.
Mashaheer had four starts for the powerful Hayes yard without winning a race before Kolpin bought the three-year-old colt just under six months ago from a mixed thoroughbred sale in Melbourne for $10,000.
Kolpin said he had to pinch himself after Mashaheer scored a short head victory over Defies Logic and Wild Colonial Boy in a $23,000 maiden.
“It’s a wonderful result,” the former jockey said.
“I had $25 each way on him on the TAB.
“He paid more than $63 for a win, while my brother Craig, who is also in the ownership, backed him at odds of a 100/1 with the bookies.
“I know a few Hamilton people backed the horse.
“There was nothing much wrong with the horse when we got him.
“He was shin sore, so we turned him out in the paddock for a few months but apart from that he was in very good condition.
“He’s paid for himself with one run for us.”
Kolpin, who is also the track manager at Hamilton, said he was lucky he took the advice of Hamilton vet Ian McLeod regarding an operation on the colt.
“I was thinking of gelding Mashaheer, but Ian convinced me not to,” Kolpin said.
“Ian said he’s a very well-bred galloper. His advice was just wait and see what happens. I’m glad I took his advice now.
“I understand it was only a maiden win at Camperdown, but the win was very good.
“He had trialled up pretty well at Hamilton last Monday, so I rated him a good place chance.
“I’ll give him a couple of weeks off before planning his next run which may be in Adelaide.”
Mashaheer picked up $12,600 in prizemoney for his connections with the maiden victory.
INJURY WOES
INJURIES have taken a toll on horses from Merv McKenzie’s small Warrnambool stable.
His two good gallopers, A Good Yarn and Big Reel, have been on the sidelines with leg injuries.
A Good Yarn – the winner of four of his 10 races – has a hairline fracture to his off-front leg, while Big Reel – who has won six of his 25 starts – has a small fracture at the back of his off-front knee following a win at Geelong in May last year.
“It’s just so frustrating that the two best horses I’ve got are not racing,” McKenzie said.
“It’s pretty true injuries only happen to the good ones.
“A Good Yarn was not racing at his best and we found out he had the hairline fracture.
“He’ll be out for another four months.
“Big Reel is back in light work after spending more then seven months in the paddock.
“I’ve just got my fingers crossed that they will get over their injuries.”
MEDALS DECISION
REIGNING Warrnambool Grand Annual Steeplechase winner Gold Medals is back in light work, but trainer Symon Wilde is undecided if the nine-year-old will run in this year’s feature race at the May Carnival.
Gold Medals won the 2018 Brierly Steeplechase on the opening day of the three-day carnival before winning the Annual on the last day.
“The Brierly Steeplechase will be the first target for Gold Medals,” Wilde said. “I’m not sure about running in the Annual. We’ll get over the Brierly first before talking about the Grand Annual.
“He’s come back into work in great shape.
“He’ll have two to three flat runs before running in the Brierly.”
From his 69 starts, Gold Medals has won more than $750,000 in prizemoney.
MUMBLES HOPE
THE unlucky run of Warrnambool galloper Mumbles continued at Flemington on Saturday.
Mumbles ran fourth in the $250,000 Inglis Dash over 1100 metres on the back of a luckless run at Warrnambool at his previous start.
Trainer Daniel Bowman said he’s hopeful the fortunes of the lightly raced three-year-old will improve.
“It was a top run in the Inglis Dash,” Bowman said.
“I’m not saying he could have won but with a bit of luck he should have finished in the top three.
“We’ve learnt his best racing style is just let him relax early and then work into the race.
“He’s been a very immature horse who has just needed time to learn about the racing caper.
“He’s starting to put it all together now. He was very unlucky at Warrnambool at his previous start.”
Mumbles cost $80,000 at the 2017 Sydney Classic Yearling Sale and Bowman is hoping to make a purchase or two at the upcoming Classic yearling sale.
“I’ll be heading up to Sydney in early February for the Classic Sales,” he said.
“It’s always a very strong yearling sale with some lovely types of yearlings.
“I’ve got a couple of stable clients who are interested in buying into a yearling or two from that sale.
“I’ll also be going to yearling sales in Melbourne, Tasmania and Adelaide over the next few months.”
Mumbles has won more then $37,000 in prizemoney from his 10 starts.