News

Kathy O’Hara hoping to punch home some winners in charity event appearance

18th Sep 2014

Daily Telegraph - Ray Thomas - Friday, 19 September 2014

Kathy O’Hara, Sydney’s leading female jockey, swaps her saddle and whip for boxing gloves when she enters the ring at the Inglis Charity Boxing event on Saturday night.

The famous William Inglis sales ring at Newmarket will be transformed into a boxing ring with O’Hara’s bout with fellow jockey Jessie Whipp one of the more anticipated fights.

In between her riding commitments this week, O’Hara hit the pads at the Liverpool Police Citizen’s Youth Club during the week to get into some training prior tomorrow night’s big fight.

But first O’Hara will be at Royal Randwick on Saturday to ride the in-form Divertire in the Bacardi Untameable Handicap (1400m) and then Ivory Cognac in the William Shaw Knitwear Handicap (1200m).

She will then travel the short distance from Randwick to the Inglis complex for the fight night.

The charity event is raising money for two important causes — the Black Dog Institute and Young Guns Foundation.

The Black Dog Institute is dedicated to improving lives for people with mood disorders and Young Guns Foundation is a program that assists and develops youth in sport and discipline.

The event is fully sanctioned by the NSW Amateur Boxing Association and each match will be 3 x 2 minute rounds.

Apart from the O’Hara-Whipp fight, Hunter Valley stud workers Conor Phelan from Vinery Stud and Matt Lawler from Yarraman Park will go toe-to-toe.

The ambassador for the event is Gold Logie winner Scotty Cam from Channel 9’s The Block, and an auction of memorabilia includes a weekend for eight guests at the historic Vinery Homestead, and signed racing silks for current Melbourne Cup favourite The Offer.