Barachiel out to break winning drought

Image credit: Caught In The Act Photography CQ

By Glenn Davis

Veteran trainer Jim O’Shea is hopeful of ending a run of outs with old warrior Barachiel in the Open Handicap at Callaghan Park in Rockhampton on Tuesday.

Barachiel is currently the only horse O’Shea has in work, but his confidence is growing the eight-year-old can win for the first time since apprentice Marnu Potgieter was successful aboard the gelding at Yeppoon in September last year.

O’Shea will be striving to beat his own dry spell after Spring Creek gave him his latest win at Rockhampton in March.

“He hasn’t won for a while, but he hasn’t had that many starts since then either,” O’Shea said.

O’Shea has booked three kilo claiming apprentice Alisha Ross to partner Barachiel, who was allotted topweight with 60kgs for the 1400-metre Open sprint.

“He’s got a big weight again and for some reason he doesn’t seem to come down in the weights very often,” O’Shea said.

“Alisha knows him well and with her three kilo claim he comes into this race well.

“He might not have won for a while but I think he can win.”

Barachiel has not started since the Cleveland Bay Handicap over 1300 metres in Townsville on August 7 when he finished 10th, more than seventh lengths behind winner Master Jamie. 

“This race is a lot weaker than what he’s been running in lately,” O’Shea said.

“His run in the Cleveland Bay wasn’t overly bad but he got back and kept running into a few dead ends.

“Alisha ran second on him at Rockhampton a few runs back but one more stride he would have won that day.”

O’Shea has trained Barachiel throughout his 58-start career for 12 wins and 22 placings, earning more than $234,000 in prizemoney.

He rated the son of Bradbury’s Luck good enough to campaign in Brisbane where his best effort in a handful of trips was two placings at Eagle Farm in August, 2020.

“I’ve taken to Brisbane a few times and was placed over 1400 metres and another over 1600 metres at Eagle Farm,” he said.

“I also ran him in the Rockhampton Cup over 1600 metres last year when he was just beaten.

“The last few metres always seem to find him out over 1600 metres.”

O’Shea was reluctant to name a threat to Barachiel who will jump from an awkward barrier nine.

“They’re all dangers once you get to Open company,” he said.

“Any of these horses can win on any given day.”