Latest News

By Mark Brassel

Warwick Farm trainer Gary Nickson is brimming with confidence that his talented galloper Mandalong Missile will be winning better races than her scheduled contest at Queanbeyan on Tuesday.

The filly will be shooting for a winning hat-trick when she lines up in the Jerrabomberra Hotel Queanbeyan Cup Prelude (2000m).

“I’ve always had a big opinion of her, and I honestly think she could knock over a decent black type race, who knows?” Nickson declared.

Mandalong Missile wins at Goulburn with Alysha Collett aboard. Image by Bradley Photographers

“You’ve always got to dream big and the Oaks [Royal Randwick] next autumn could be a target as she’ll definitely get the 2400m trip.”

Mandalong Missile went for 10 starts without winning a race – although she had competed in some high grade two-year-old races at Rosehill and Randwick – before breaking her maiden at Goulburn.

Blinkers were added to her gear, and she has since become a revelation, although the first time she carried them was a blot on her record when she reared and missed the start by six lengths at Newcastle.

But subsequently the three-year-old finished strongly to score at Goulburn (1600m) before winning impressively at Canberra (2000m).

“Alysha Collett won on her at Goulburn but had another commitment last time and missed the ride.

“Alysha said she’ll travel anywhere to keep riding her so she’s back on at Queanbeyan.

“This is a pretty big filly and I’ll see how it all goes at Queanbeyan, but I might put her away after this run.

“She’s very competitive and the jockeys say she is always hard to pull up after a race; she just wants to keep going.”

Mandalong Missile, a daughter of Smart Missile, is well-bred being from Stakes winner Magsaya who was placed in the Hawkesbury Cup and Scone’s Dark Jewel Classic.

Nickson said he will also take fellow three-year-old Zephyr Wings down to Queanbeyan for the Huon Contractors Maiden (900m).

“He’s only a little bloke who is immature and needs to grow so I might tip him out after Tuesday.

“He has a stack of speed and goes alright so he should run a decent race over the 900m at Queanbeyan.

“At his only start Kathy [O’Hara] said he was on the bit then off the bit and wanted to watch the other horses around him.

“I trained his mother [Evonne’s Magic-Gosford winner] and he’ll win a few races, I’m sure.

“I only have a fairly small team these days, so I just take my horses where they’ll be competitive. The money’s so good, especially with the BOBS scheme.”

Nickson said his last start winner Felix Majesty, who scored with ease at Hawkesbury last Thursday at just his third start, had already garnered plenty of interest.

“I’ve already had around ten offers for him – he’s a very nice horse.”

UPCOMING NSW COUNTRY RACE MEETINGS
Monday: Scone, Lismore
Tuesday: Queanbeyan
Thursday: Port Macquarie
Friday: Ballina, Gundagai
Saturday: Bathurst, Gundagai, Broken Hill (non-TAB)
Sunday: Wellington