Just before 10pm last Saturday night, the CHRIS O’Brien-trained Mortified won her way through to the final of the 2023 Group 1 Australian Cup.
It's a race doused in history and prestige, and one that carries enough weight to change a trainers life.
Fast forward a few hours though and you wouldn’t have known it, as O’Brien and the girl he calls ‘Lisa’ pulled into a truck stop somewhere between The Meadows and their hometown of Nowra in NSW to soak it all in.
“I pulled over on the way home and we both had a bit of a rest. I just made sure she was fed, topped up with water and I gave her an empty. As long as she was comfortable, who cares about me right,” O’Brien said thoughtfully.
An eight-hour trip is not uncommon for those wishing to win marquee races interstate, but the taxing nature of such a journey is certainly part of the reason why the Australian Cup has almost been unobtainable for NSW trainers in recent times.
In the last 20 years, the late Max Burdekin (Most Awesome D/H with Blackjack Tom in 2003) is the only trainer hailing from this side of the Murray Darling to win the feature race.
Shaun Evans and CHRIS Nutt won the race as owners with St. Pierre back in 2011 as well, but by and large, very few titles have made their way back across the border and into NSW trophy cabinets.
“Everyone knows it’s hard to travel and win and there’s a bit to think about when you take a dog down there [to Melbourne],” O’Brien said.
“It was pretty bloody hot when we left so I had to keep her cool. You have got to watch their weight, so you give them a few empties but try and keep them hydrated too. Then as we got closer to Melbourne the temperature started to drop a lot so you need to deal with that. I think she might have put 100 grams on by the time we arrived which was perfect,” he added.
Upon arrival, O’Brien was greeted by a few familiar faces as well.
“Micky Hardman, Tubba [Steve Arnold], Ray Dixon, Shaun Evans and Joe Scerri were all down there racing too so it felt a bit like being on a home deck,” O’Brien said.
But while that group’s commitments had all wrapped up by Race 7, Mortified wasn’t due to run until the eleventh on the card.
The wait was well worth it, as she flew out of the boxes to lead from start to finish, stopping the clock in 29.76 to beat home the David Geall-trained Hill Top Jack by 3.71 lengths.
Mortified then drawing Box 2 in the Australian Cup decider this Saturday night at The Meadows.
“I’m pretty rapt mate to be honest. She went great and she felt good, felt comfortable. She walked to the boxes by herself, and she seems to like the joint,” O’Brien said.
“I think she likes the boxes too. They are a bit different down there, there’s a bigger opening and I think that suits her and probably more dogs if I’m honest,” he added.
“She qualified third fastest, but she’s drawn better for the final. They’re all good dogs but I think the main dangers are Victa Damian (Box 7) and Baby Jaycee (Box 8), and although the draw has made it hard for them now. Mortified actually went a bit quicker over the first section in her trial there but the back end of her race was stronger on Saturday night so I’m excited to see what she can do in the final,” he said.
The daughter of 2019 Golden Easter Egg finalist Banjo Tifia (also trained by O’Brien) is now through to her second Group 1 final in as many months, after running fourth in the National Futurity behind Wyndra All Class in January.
The $300,000-to-the-winner purse on offer this weekend seeming to catch O'Brien a little off guard.
“It’s worth that much, you serious? My god,” O’Brien laughed.
“That amount of money would help immensely. Plus, if she was to win an Australian Cup, imagine how much it’d make her pups worth,” he said.
“Oh, and the cars beginning to play up, so I’d probably get a new one of those,” he added.
Maybe look for one that includes a fold out bed too CHRIS, just in case Mortified wants to take on the Victorians again sometime soon.
Mortified wins her Australian Cup Heat. Photo Credit: Clint Anderson / GRV.
