Brisbane an option for Sunnycoast after Mackay assignment

By Glenn Davis

Jamie McConachy could follow the lead of his fellow Rockhampton trainers and head to Brisbane soon with his promising gelding Sunnycoast.

McConachy will make the near four hour road trip to Mackay on Tuesday to saddle up his only runner, Sunnycoast, in the QTIS Three-Years-Old Handicap over 1200 metres.

Sunnycoast showed he was a future star when he gave McConachy his second win in the Capricornia Yearling Sale Classic at Rockhampton’s Callaghan Park in April.

McConachy won the Capricornia Yearling Sale Classic last year with Sammiballerina, who like Sunnycoast, is sired by Listed winner Sebring Sun.

“All the experts said Sunnycoast wouldn’t run 1200 metres in the Capricornia Yearling Sales Classic but he did it on his ear,” McConachy said.

“I think he’ll have no problem getting 1400 metres eventually.”

McConachy is in no rush with Sunnycoast but has watched with great interest the Brisbane success of fellow Rockhampton trainers Tom Smith and Nick Walsh.

Smith made a successful trip to Brisbane at the start of the month with Acres Away who stormed to victory in a Benchmark race at Eagle Farm.

“Tommy is a very good up-and-coming trainer like Nick Walsh who also has had great success in Brisbane,” McConachy said.

“I might give him a crack at something down south but I don’t want to get too excited just yet.

“I’ll see how he goes at Mackay before we look at anything bigger.”

Sunnycoast – an Ashley Butler mount – has started five times for three wins and a second.

His only unplaced run was at Mackay when he finished a fading fourth in the QTIS Jewel Qualifier won by the John Wigginton-trained In Evidence in February.

In Evidence had Sunnycoast’s measure for a second time last start when he resumed with a close second after leading over 1100 metres at Rockhampton on August 3.

However, McConachy has warned Sunnycoast was well below peak fitness for his return.

“He was a lot fatter then as I couldn’t get a barrier trial into him for his first-up run,” McConachy said.

“He’s a lot fitter now so he should be very hard to beat.”

McConachy rates the Darby Amos-trained Dirt Cheap and Yellowstone Beth from the Lindsay Hatch stable as the main dangers in Tuesday's Mackay race. 

Dirt Cheap – a Morgan Butler ride – made a brilliant debut winning a maiden against his own age at Townsville on August 6 while Yellowstone Beth is coming off a second to Craicaro in Townsville on August 12.