News

Jusufovic reaping the rewards

21st Jul 2014

Racing Victoria - Brad Bishop - Saturday, 19 July 2014

It’s taken four years, but Enver Jusufovic is finally reaping the rewards for a brave overhaul of his Cranbourne stable.

At Flemington on Saturday he unveiled the horse he hopes will take him to new territory when O’Malley won the $80,000 Bruce Gadsden Handicap (1000m).

The son of Street Boss turned in an outstanding performance to score a dominant win in the 1000-metre event.

Jusufovic said after the win that on natural ability the three-year-old is right up there with the best horses he has prepared and he hoped he could lead the next phase of his career following the recent retirement of former stable flagbearer Briefed.

“I assessed things four years ago, I walked around the stables and thought, ‘I’m not going anywhere’. I walk around the stables now and I think, ‘I’m going somewhere’,” he said.

“I’ve got rid of things, I’ve changed a lot of things and got some good people around me. It was either sink or swim four years ago and I’m starting to bear the fruits.

“Briefed was retired and this horse was going to be the heir apparent. He had to do it today, he had to win well and I certainly think he’s a horse on the way up.

“It’s funny how one (horse) goes and the next one comes along.”

O’Malley, a $25,000 purchase, looked a horse who would not be out of place in the Spring Racing Carnival in registering the third win of his five-start career at his first appearance in town on a Saturday.

The field spread out, but jockey Jye McNeil followed Handsome Tycoon in the centre of the track aboard O’Malley before peeling off his back to start his run at the 350m.

O’Malley, who was $11 with TAB earlier in the week but started the $3 favourite, struck the front at the 200m and surged away to score by 1-1/4 lengths from Cosmic Lights ($4.80), who finished a neck in advance of third placegetter Handsome Tycoon ($5.50).

As pleased as he was to see O’Malley pass his biggest test, Jusufovic is not getting ahead of himself in regards to future plans.

“I think we’ll celebrate this and then just weigh up things and go from there,” he said.

“He’s had five runs this prep, he certainly thrived after that short let up I gave him. We’ll just see what happens, there’s plenty of time with this horse.”

O’Malley’s victory was a triumph for McNeil, who quickly bounced back from his eighth placing in the Rising Stars Final – in which Regan Bayliss joined him at the top of the leaderboard with his victory aboard Reckless Assassin.

The win also enhanced his chances of victory in the Victorian Metropolitan Apprentices’ Premiership, edging him back to within one victory of leader Katelyn Mallyon, who won the second race on the card aboard Written.

Mallyon re-extended her lead later in the day, however, completing a winning double with victory aboard Zamorar.