O'Learys unfazed by close-run thing

CLOSE BRO: The O'Leary brothers' talented stayer Who Shot Thebarman (inner) gets nailed by a half head on the line by Grand Marshal and Jim Cassidy in Saturday's A$1.7 million Sydney Cup.PHOTO/GETTY IMAGES

THE Wanganui O'Leary brothers were back battling the elements on-farm yesterday philosophical their classy stayer Who Shot Thebarman was beaten on the line in Saturday's A$1.7 million Sydney Cup at Royal Randwick.

Dan, Humphrey, Michael and Shaun were proud and excited rather than hugely disappointed Who Shot Thebarman was nailed by stablemate Grand Marshal after looking the winner 100 metres or less from the post after the 3200-metre trip.

The difference between winning and running second after all was a mere A$750,000.

Who Shot Thebarman is these days trained in Sydney by expat Kiwi Chris Waller, but so is English import Grand Marshal ridden by expat Kiwi jockey Jim Cassidy.

Once balanced for the long run to the winning post down the Randwick straight, Aussie jockey Blake Shinn punched Who Shot Thebarman three lengths clear after collaring hot favourite Hartnell and the pair looked to have the measure of their rivals. That was until Cassidy unleashed his magic.

"It's amazing what Jimmy Cassidy can do on racedays - you've really got to take your hat off to him and the horse," Humphrey O'Leary said yesterday.

'There was only a nod of the head in it at the line and even Chris (Waller) was surprised Grand Marshal was able to turn his form around from Monday's ordinary run. He almost wasn't going to start him.

"Once our horse had shot clear in the straight we all thought he looked the winner, but it wasn't to be. To be fair both horses probably produced their best runs of their careers and you've got to respect that. All you can ask for is that your horse runs genuine races every time they line up and ours certainly has."

The irony was that before venturing to Australia as a young apprentice, the then Woodville-based Cassidy had ridden for the O'Learys father, Humphrey senior.

"Yeah, Jim had ridden for Dad and ridden a winner too," Humphrey junior lamented. "There may have been a big difference between winning and losing - A$750,000 in fact but, hey, we're not unhappy with the A$260,000 for running second. The funny thing is you don't really think about the money during the race. Anyway it was very, very exciting and he (the horse) will probably go out for a spell now and be aimed at the spring in Melbourne."

Who Shot Thebarman ran a brave third in last year's Melbourne Cup and O'Leary said he would probably take the same path to the first Tuesday in November. "He had a couple of runs in Sydney and then flew down to Melbourne to put the final touches on. I guess he'll be limited to weight-for-age races to keep the weight down for the Melbourne Cup."