Mal Coupe off for spell, Benamera a winner

Hawkesbury trainer Steve O’Halloran’s smart sprinter Mal Coupe has come to the end of his current successful campaign.

Mal Coupe ($12) wasn’t beaten far when sixth to Mazu in yesterday’s Group 3 Hall Mark Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick, and will go for a well-deserved spell.

“He has five hard runs (winning his first two) this campaign getting up in stronger class, and even though he still ran well yesterday, showed that he has enough for the time being,” O’Halloran said today.

“Winona Costin rode him exactly as we had planned, and thought he was going to win coming up the rise until he flattened out.”

Mal Coupe, a homebred four-year-old by Xtravagant, has won six races – and five of them were in a row.

O’Halloran won his seventh race for the season when Benamera ($6) beat three rivals in a Class 2 Handicap (1300m) at Canberra last Friday.

“Considering the small field after five scratchings, I was surprised at his odds,” he said.

“Benamera had won second-up at Newcastle at 1400m, and I brought him back from 1600m last time at Hawkesbury to 1300m with three weeks between runs.”

Benamera was jockey Quaye Krogh’s first ride for the trainer, but the pair knew each other years back when both were based at Randwick with Gai Waterhouse AO.”

*Words by John Curtis for hawkesburyraceclub.com.au