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Former Rockhampton star Our Boy Malachi proved he will not only be competitive in Sydney racing, but will be one of the main players over the summer's sprints following his super Rosehill debut on Saturday.
The six-year-old had outgrown north Queensland racing after winning 12 of his 13 starts for Rockhampton trainer John O'Sing and was moved to Hawkes Racing by his owners.
Jockey Jay Ford stuck his neck out earlier in the week and declared "the Rockhampton Rocket" a good thing on debut in the big smoke.
"I trialled him on Tuesday and I didn't think he'd get beat, but it's hard to line up a horse as good as him up there to see how he'll measure up in Sydney," Ford said.
Our Boy Malachi settled just behind Zaratone in the running and punters began to cheer as the $1.80 fancy cruised past Zaratone inside the final 200 metres to win by 1-¼ lengths, in the smart time of 1:03.5 for the 1100m, the last 600m in a scorching 32.85 seconds. There was a further 4-¼ lengths back to Agent in third.
"After we went a furlong [200m] I just came off the fence early to make sure they all had to take a sit behind me and then I just poked back in behind Zaratone," Ford said.
"I knew taking the speed out of the race meant nothing would be able to come back from behind and we just chose our timing as to when we wanted to pounce on the grey horse [runner-up Zaratone]."
Despite being handed over to Hawkes Racing, O'Sing made the trip to Sydney as a fan.
"I've just come along for the ride," he said. "He won in Brisbane first-up last time and won in 56.60 seconds and then I took him back to Rocky and won what we call the Newmarket up there with 59kg after falling out of the barrier, and it was then I thought he was too good for up here.
"Michael [Hawkes] said whatever he did today he'd still improve on, so you'd think he'd win more on that."
Ford said black-type races during the summer would not be out of reach for the chestnut son of Top Echelon.
"I've got no doubts that he'll measure up in stakes grade but as to how far he goes, I don't know but I've got no doubts, in the future, that he'll account for himself at stakes level," Ford said.
"It wasn't a big field but they were seasoned open handicappers, so he's well on his way."
Even though O'Sing prepared Our Boy Malachi to 12 wins in 13 starts, he was quick to praise the Hawkes.
"They improve a bit when they get to the better trainers," O'Sing said.
Earlier in the day punters were made to feel sick after $1.70 favourite Exosphere flopped on debut in Canberra filly Single Gaze's win at $81 in the 1100m dash for two-year-olds.
"He was feisty today," Exosphere's jockey Glyn Schofield told stewards.
"He got the bit through his teeth as soon as we passed Josh [Parr on Counterattack], but he just ran through the bridle. He went a bit fresh and was beaten at the top of the straight."
