ATTARD CHASING HIS OWN PIECE OF GLORY
- John Curtis
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Well not quite the Hawkesbury trainer himself.
Rather his 2015 Hawkesbury Gold Cup winner Sons Of John, who at $31 and with freshness in his legs, went within a whisker of upsetting the mighty Winx in the Group 2 Theo Marks Stakes (1300m) at Rosehill Gardens on September 12 that year.
Defeat would have punctured the champion mare’s subsequent remarkable winning streak, which became only three that day and eventually tallied 33.
There’s no Winx to worry about this time and no Sons Of John in his corner either, but Attard at Royal Randwick on Saturday is out to seal his own piece of glory by winning the $1m Provincial-Midway Championships Final (1400m).
He will be represented by the talented four-year-old mare and third favorite Oui Oui Oui (Tom Sherry).
This is his second and best chance to win easily his richest race. The now deceased Reiby Rampart was a $20 chance when ninth to Maryore in the 2017 Final.
Attard trains Oui Oui Oui, a daughter of 2019 The Everest winner Yes Yes Yes, for her breeder Kate Nivison, who races under the Etak Thoroughbreds banner.
‘Kate is a great supporter of my stable, and I was fortunate to be given Oui Oui Oui to train when she didn’t reach her reserve at the 2023 Inglis Classic yearling sale,” Attard said today.
“We didn’t race her as a two-year-old and I’m sure by not pushing her early, it has well and truly paid off.
“Oui Oui Oui has won five of her 11 starts, and I couldn’t be happier with her going into Saturday’s race.”
A plan to tackle the Provincial-Midway Championships series was hatched after Oui Oui Oui won a Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap (1300m) at Randwick in mid-December.
“She had won first-up at Newcastle as a short-priced favorite, and her first city victory convinced us that she was ready to have a crack at the Championships,” Attard said.
Oui Oui Oui won again a fortnight later at Randwick, this time at 1400m, and Attard gave her a short break to focus on securing a “free ticket” to the Final early in the series.
She did that in the opening 1400m heat at Hawkesbury on February 19, finishing second to Octa De Lago.
With the qualification safely tucked away, Attard was then able to give her what he says has been a perfect preparation leading to the Final.
“Because of the lengthy break between the Hawkesbury Qualifier and the Final, she needed to have another race,” he said.
That was another step up in class to the Group 3 Birthday Card Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens on Golden Slipper day (March 21), and she ran eighth to Catch The Glory, beaten only two and a half lengths.
“I felt Oui Oui Oui went super terrific that day,” Attard said. “She drew near the outside, had to go back and was last at the 400m.
“With a better draw this time, I’m expecting her to settle no worse than midfield and she likes Randwick (two from two).
“Oui Oui Oui is a naturally fit mare, and it’s been a matter of simply keeping her ticking over since the Birthday Card.
“Everything has gone really well.”
Attard trains off course, and floats his horses to Hawkesbury for trackwork.
He has only 13 in work at present, referring to them as his “merry mob”, and has won 12 races so far – clearly second to leading Hawkesbury trainer Brad Widdup (42) – in what he says has been his best ever start to a season.
Winning a $1m feature at headquarters on Saturday would indeed make it a season to remember.
. HOOFNOTE: Attard still has Sons Of John, and cares for the 15-year-old gelding at his Grose Vale property.
“He is as fat as mud, and happy as Larry,” he said.
