O’HALLORAN’S CHANGE OF PLANS WITH MAL COUPE

STEVE O’Halloran wasn’t intending to have another shot at a $1m race with Mal Coupe so soon.

But he says his stable star has done so well that he changed his mind and will run him in Saturday’s Group 2 The Shorts (1100m) at Royal Randwick.

The Hawkesbury trainer was pleased with Mal Coupe’s first-up seventh (beaten only three lengths) to outstanding mare Tempted in the $1m Group 2 Concorde Stakes (1000m) at Randwick on September 5.

“I was thinking of waiting for a Benchmark 94 Handicap (1200m) at the Epsom meeting at Randwick on October 3, or a Benchmark 100 Handicap (1000m) at Warwick Farm two days later,” O’Halloran said today.

“But Mal Coupe has done really well and is ready to race again, so we may as well have a crack at The Shorts.

“He isn’t all that well placed under the set weights and penalties conditions (with 55kg only 2kg less than Joliestar), but he always gives 110 per cent.

“I’m sure he will run well again.

“Mal Coupe worked really on the course proper at Hawkesbury on Tuesday morning.

“We still have the option going to either of those other two races after The Shorts.”

Tyler Schiller rode the gelding in the Concorde, and has the mount again.

She is one of the bolters at $101, but Newcastle trainer Mark Minervini says his mare Smiling Prophet is in with a chance in Friday’s $250,000 Group 3 Tibbie Stakes (1400m) at Newcastle.

Smiling Prophet also was at cricket score odds when she just missed a placing in the Group 3 Mona Lisa Stakes (1350m) at Wyong a fortnight ago.

Minervini has retained Rory Hutchings even though he will declare 1kg overweight on the mare.

“It’s not ideal, but Rory knows Smiling Prophet well,” he said today.

“Putting blinkers on the mare a few months ago has certainly made a difference.

“Smiling Prophet is going really well, and I’m looking forward to running her in the Tibbie.”

Apart from Smiling Prophet and Kris Lees’ topweight Infancy, Wyong trainer Tracey Bartley’s Titanium Miss (Shannen Llewellyn) is the other provincial representative in the fillies and mares’ feature.

Infancy is at $8.50, and Titanium Miss $41; the latter finished second on the Kensington track on September 9.

Newcastle trainer Nathan Doyle and Kembla Grange’s Donna Grisedale were the provincial winners on the inside Illawarra Grange track at Kembla Grange today. 

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Doyle’s Portland Sky three-year-old Slander ($1.75 favorite) was having only his second start, and first since being runner-up on debut at Hawkesbury in May.

Ash Morgan did a good job to overcome the colt’s wide draw in the Provincial Maiden Handicap (1150m) and defeat Wyong trainer Kim Waugh’s Areesea ($12) and Kembla Grange co-trainers Rob and Luke Price’s $51 outsider Silverwater Kid.

Grisedale and her jockey husband Jon returned to Kembla Grange in July a lengthy stint at Coffs Harbour, and she clinched her first winner back with Powder Man ($8.50) in the Benchmark 64 Handicap (1450m).

Nash Rawiller gave the gelding plenty of time to settle, and he produced a swift turn of foot to easily overpower $1.65 favorite Glastonbury Girl to score impressively.

. Aethelwulf remains a dominant $1.50 hotpot for the $300,000 Group 3 Newcastle Gold Cup (2300m) tomorrow, and will start the shortest priced favorite in the race since Glencadam Gold scored at $1.30 in 2012, and then also won The Metropolitan (2400m) at Randwick.

Aethelwulf is already favorite for the Group 2 Metropolitanon October 3, and his connections are hoping he can repeat the Glencadam Gold double.

STORY JOHN CURTIS, SEPTEMBER 17, 2026 - PICS BRADLEY PHOTOS