Star galloper aims for Sydney

With the Auckland Cup safely in the cabinet, the O'Leary brothers (from left) Michael, Dan, Humphrey and Shaun are looking to quench their thirst when Who Shot Thebarman tackles the A$1 million Sydney Cup next month. Photo/Stuart Munro

The bar staff will be busy but safe if the Wanganui O'Leary brothers can repeat their Auckland success in Sydney next month.

The dairy farming brothers Dan, Humphrey, Michael and Shaun claimed back-to-back coveted trophies when their talented 5-year-old galloper Who Shot Thebarman won the $500,000 Group One Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Cup (3200m) at Ellerslie last week.

This followed victory in the $100,000 Avondale Cup on the same track three weeks before.

Now the Group One A$1 million ($1.05m) Schweppes Sydney Cup at Randwick on April 19 beckons and with six wins from just nine racedays starts under the belt, the O'Learys and Awapuni trainer Mark Oulaghan are confident Who Shot Thebarman can provide yet another great occasion to celebrate.

After a hard night celebrating in Auckland last Wednesday night with an entourage of 44, eldest brother Dan floated the horse (affably known as Larry around the stables) home for a brief break on his dairy farm near Marton last Friday.

Immediately following the Auckland Cup win and the following morning Who Shot Thebarman was fresh as a daisy, unlike the O'Leary brothers - it appeared he had not even had a race. And it is that attribute the camp is confident they have a stayer of note on their hands and a real contender for Sydney Cup honours.

"There were no barmen shot the night after the Avondale or Auckland cups and there certainly won't be any in Sydney," Humphrey O'Leary joked yesterday.

Since arriving back from Auckland, Dan, a trainer himself, has been walking and trotting Who Shot Thebarman around his farm and the horse is thriving.

"He's done very well since he came home and I'll probably take him back to Mark (Oulaghan) on Sunday. He's the sort of horse that doesn't need much work because he's so clean winded and a natural athlete. It will be up to Mark what happens between now and the Sydney trip, but in my opinion he probably races best in a fresh state," Dan O'Leary said.

Oulaghan agrees.

"Yeah, he doesn't need much racing. He's a pretty handy sort of horse."

"I've booked him to fly over on April 5 and there's a lead-up race (Group Two Schwepps Chairman's Handicap 2600m) available at Randwick on April 12 if I think he needs it. Otherwise he may go straight into the Sydney Cup on April 19."

One of New Zealand's best and busiest jockeys, Matt Cameron, is the regular rider and remains in the mix for raceday duties in Sydney.

"We haven't confirmed anything at this stage, but Matt is still in the mix," Oulaghan said.

Michael and Shaun bought Who Shot Thebarman sight unseen as a weanling from the deep south looking for a potential jumper and being by the stoutly-bred Yaminin Vital, the horse fitted the bill perfectly.

However, as he grew and was put through his early paces it immediately became clear the O'Learys had a horse with a real flat racing future.

The two brothers gave shares to their siblings and it is the first time all four have been involved in a galloper together since Fontera, a jumper of real class earlier this decade.

Fonterra won a host of races here in New Zealand and a major jumping race in Japan witnessed by all four brothers.

However, the consensus between the siblings is that this latest equine athlete is the best they have raced.