Racing: 'Quirky' 3rd placegetter was broken in Waipuk

Kirsty Lawrence.

For a "very quirky horse", Who Shot Thebarman did incredibly well to finish third in the Melbourne Cup yesterday, according to Waipukurau trainer Kirsty Lawrence.

"It's a massive win with the experience he's got," Lawrence said of the 6-year-old gelding who jockey Glenn Boss rode in the 154th race worth $6.2 million.

"Some of the horses were having a fourth go at the cup so he'll [Who Shot Thebarman] be back next year," said Lawrence.

She helped break in the Kiwi galloper over three months when he was 3 years old.

She lauded Sydney-based trainer Chris Waller, of Foxton, for "a great job" but felt the horse would excel with more ringcraft.

It was ironic, Lawrence said, that the temperamental horse had been broken in at the smalltown Waipuk track.

The owners, Manawatu dairy farming brothers Michael, Dan, Humphrey and Shaun O'Leary, had handed Who Shot Thebarman to her after they were unsuccessful in breaking him.

Even after she had tried to bring him to heel, they had to be careful with breaking him. She said "we had to be careful with him" because the Auckland Cup winner had the propensity to "buck and shy".

"Even now he's a very fierce track worker and always has a few tricks in the kit bag. He's hot-headed and opinionated and was the second-most difficult horse I've ever trained."

She said her concern before the race was how Who Shot Thebarman - whose name was inspired by the brothers' aunty every time her gin glass was empty - would cope with the noise from the throngs.

"It was great to see him relax and settle into the run."

Lawrence said the brothers bought the horse, sired by Yamamin Vital, without even seeing him, for $8000 in Christchurch, which seemed a lot of money "for just a brown and that was it".

"There was nothing special about him but but now he's going to go on to become something."