MAL COUPE A “QUICKER RIDE” THIS TIME FOR COLLETT

FROM a slow one to a quick one!

Hawkesbury trainer Steve O’Halloran is looking forward to Jason Collett getting aboard Mal Coupe for another Group 3 assignment at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

And to further help matters, the talented young sprinter has drawn barrier one in the Star Kingdom Stakes (1200m).

“Jason has had only one ride before for me, and that was on a ‘slow one’ (Irradiance who ran 12^th of 13 in a Midway 4YO & Up Maiden Plate, 1350m at the Wyong Cup meeting in September 2024),” O’Halloran recalled today.

“She also raced in the same Stevenson family colours as Mal Coupe, and was retired after five placings from 15 starts.”

Collett takes over from Winona Costin, who rode Mal Coupe in the first four of his six wins so far, and also when he ran a close second to Flying For Fun at his first Group 3 test in the Maurice McCarten Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill on March 14.

“We discussed it, and decided to go for a jockey who rides regularly in these black type races in town,” O’Halloran said.

“Jason fits the bill.”

Mal Coupe had strung together five wins on end before taking another step up in class when a brave runner-up in the Maurice McCarten.

O’Halloran says the four-year-old son of Xtravagant has come through the race really well.

“This will be his fourth start this preparation, and his record shows he got better with his fifth and sixth runs before,” he said.

“Mal Coupe is a happy horse.

“I’ve kept him ticking over, and he loves going to the races.

“He knows he has a job to do when he gets off the float.”

O’Halloran is taking each race as it comes, and isn’t looking any further ahead than Saturday’s assignment.

Mal Coupe was raised 10 benchmark points to 97 for his McCarten second, and goes from 54.5kg to 56kg. 

The rail is out 5m for Saturday’s 10-race program – the Star Kingdom is the closer – and the track this morning was rated a ‘Soft 6”, with more rain forecast for Sydney.

That shouldn’t bother O’Halloran’s accomplished wet tracker as Mal Coupe has won three from five on soft ground, and is unbeaten from two starts on heavy tracks.

Mal Coupe this morning was a $6 third favorite behind King’s Secret ($4.60) and topweight and first-up winner Gangsta Granny ($5.50).

Wyong trainer Sara Ryan has the only other provincial entry in the Star Kingdom in dual Group 3 winner Phearson (Alysha Collett).

The eight-year-old gelding is lining up for her for first time, and has been placed in both recent trials at Wyong (845m, March 5) and Randwick (1050m, March 16).

. A full field of 16 plus four emergencies has been declared for Wyong’s sixth Provincial-Midway Championships Qualifier (1350m) on Saturday.

Twelve of the 20 horses also are nominated for Tuesday’s 1400m Wild Card at Newcastle, which offers the last three spots in the 15-horse field for the $1m Final (1400m) at Randwick on April 11.

Acceptances for that race are due by 9am tomorrow (Friday).

Mailata has been withdrawn from the Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap (1300m) at Rosehill on Saturday to contest the Wyong Qualifier.

Mailata’s stablemate Banjora, the current PMC Final second favorite, will seek to qualify in Tuesday’s Wild Card.

STORY JOHN CURTIS, MARCH 26, 2026 - PICS BRADLEY PHOTOS