O'HALLORAN'S COUNTRY MOVE PAYS OFF
FRIDAY: September 11, 2026: STEVE O’Halloran could easily have stayed at home with Nymphadora yesterday and run her at his home track meeting.
Instead the Hawkesbury trainer bypassed the Midway Benchmark 64 Handicap (1000m) and chose to head down the highway to Goulburn today – and it proved a wise move.
Ridden by Keagan Latham, Nymphadora ($10) overcame an awkward start to take the Class 2 Handicap (1100m).
She pulled clear in the closing stages to defeat Borderfall ($2.90) and Willingham ($21).
Remarkably for a mare who as a two-year-old ran a cracking third at $101 in the $500,000 Inglis Nursery (1000m) at Royal Randwick in December 2023 at her second start, this was only her second success.
“Something always seems to happen with her,” O’Halloran said before heading home.
“Nymphadora has been unlucky in quite a few races.
“I felt that the roomy track at Goulburn would suit her better than going around at home yesterday, and she was dropping back to country grade.
“She isn’t a big mare, and doesn’t like being bustled in her races.
“After being a bit slow to jump, Keagan gave her a great ride by saving ground near the inside and getting clear running at the right time.
“Hopefully that win will give her confidence to win a couple more.
“She definitely races best being kept on the fresh side.”
Nymphadora’s only previous victory was at home in a Super Maiden (1100m) in April last year when also a $10 chance.
O’Halloran was rapt with the first-up performance of his stable star Mal Coupe on resumption at Royal Randwick last Saturday.
At his first Group 2 test, he ran seventh to outstanding mare Tempted in the $1m Concorde Stakes (1000m), beaten only three lengths.
“I thought they might outsprint him at the end, but he hit the line strongly and has bounced out of the race well,” O’Halloran said.
“However, I don’t think we will go to the Group 2 The Shorts (1100m) at Randwick next Saturday as that will be just as strong, if not stronger, than the Concorde.
“Rather we might wait for a Benchmark 94 Handicap (1200m) at the Epsom Handicap meeting at Randwick on October 3, or a Benchmark 100 Handicap (1000m) at Warwick Farm two days later.”
Nymphadora was O’Halloran’s second winner of the new season, and the 21st for the Hawkesbury training base.
