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By John Curtis

Steve O’Halloran is still scratching his head!

After a cracking third at $101 in the $500,000 Inglis Nursery (1000m) at Royal Randwick last December, his Yes Yes Yes filly Nymphadora remains winless following five more starts, which included a second on the Kensington Track in March.

Nymphadora (Tom Sherry) heads to the gates at Royal Randwick. Image by Bradley Photographers

Understandably, the experienced Hawkesbury horseman is hoping for a change of luck with her at home on Thursday as a big payday awaits if she can shed her maiden status.

Jean Van Overmeire is a new rider for Nymphadora, the $3.10 TAB favourite (out from $2.30) in the Grange Growing Solutions Super Maiden Handicap (1000m).

Not only does the Hawkesbury opener carry an above normal first prize of $28,400, but that will be boosted by a cool $100,000 if she can shed her maiden status.

The Super Maiden is the next in this season’s Inglis Xtra Bonus Series – and Nymphadora is eligible, being a $30,000 Inglis Classic yearling purchase early last year.

Whilst Nymphadora was beaten first-up as an odds-on hotpot ($1.35) when fifth to Up The Front (beaten only 1.5 lengths) in a Provincial Maiden Plate (1000m) at Hawkesbury on September 7, O’Halloran has explained that a subsequent blood test revealed she wasn’t 100%.

“Obviously she was suffering from a bit of a virus, and I backed off her, which is why she hasn’t raced since.

“I gave her a tick-over trial at home on October 14 when Jean rode her, and she ran third over 800m.

“She didn’t have a gut buster with this race coming up tomorrow.”

O’Halloran also is buoyed by the fact that Nymphadora’s coat has started to come through in the last few weeks as the weather begins to turn.

“She took a long time to drop her winter coat, but will look a lot better when she parades tomorrow. Hopefully she can get the job done, especially for her owners, who have been very patient.”

O’Halloran is chasing his second success of the current season, having scored with Rico Suave at his home track on August 13.

Whilst O’Halloran stares the big payday in the face, rival Kembla Grange trainer Ross McConville is looking to spoil the party with his lightly-raced three-year-old Donwon ($19), who isn’t eligible for the Inglis bonus.

A homebred, Donwon is a younger half-brother (by Magnia Grecia) to the trainer’s talented sprinter South Of India, who boasts five wins on end.

“Donwon might be even better than South Of India,” McConville said. “He was narrowly beaten first-up at Hawkesbury a fortnight ago, and that was only his second start.”

Donwon was a close third at $41 on debut in a Newcastle 2YO Maiden Plate (900m) in May, and again was at double figure odds ($17) when nudged on the line by Idolised in another Super Maiden Plate (1000m) on October 10.

McConville accepted with three horses for the Hawkesbury meeting, and is likely to rely on Donwon only.

He has already withdrawn Queen Ge Em from the Redbank North Richmond Provincial Maiden Plate (1100m), and indicated this morning that he may also bypass the Turtle Nursery and Landscape Supplies Midway Benchmark 64 Handicap (1600m) to keep him for a race at his home meeting on Saturday.

The rail is out varying distances; 4m from the 1100m to 450m, 2m from the 450m to winning post, and in the TRUE position for the remainder of the circuit. Course manager Kyle Cassim at 8am today posted a Good 4 rating.

A total of 11mm of irrigation has been put on the track in the last week, with 3mm in the past 24 hours. Only 1mm of rain has been recorded in the past week, but nothing in the past 24 hours. The eight-race program begins at 1.15pm.

View the final fields with full form & race replays for Hawkesbury here