Holy Flash chasing hat-trick at Doomben

By Glenn Davis

Group 1-winning trainer Paul Jenkins is hopeful the lightly-raced Holy Flash can complete a hat-trick of wins when the gelding steps up in distance at Doomben on Wednesday.

Holy Flash – a Sean Cormack mount – lines up for only his seventh start in the Class 2 Handicap over 1660 metres.

The son of Holy Roman Emperor has won two of his six starts and has only missed a place once when he tailed off last in his race debut at the Sunshine Coast in February.

The five-year-old broke through for his maiden victory over 1400 metres at Gatton last month then stepped up to win a 1400 metre Class 1 Handicap at the midweek metropolitan meeting at the Sunshine Coast on September 4.

“I was pleasantly surprised with his last win, but it was a great ride from Sean (Cormack),” Jenkins said.

“Sean is a very good rider and he flies under the radar.”

Jenkins races Holy Flash on lease with a few stable clients as well as the gelding's owners Frank and Katrina Demaio who hail from Beachmere, north of Brisbane.

“His owners have a lot of show jumpers and he’s more of a hobby for them,” Jenkins said.

“They left him run in the paddock to develop for 12 months and when I got him, he had been broken in.

“Unfortunately, the rail is out a long way at Doomben but he’s a real hope to make it three in a row.

“This could be his last run before he goes for a spell but I’m sure he will run a lot further as he’s a push button type.

“He can race on speed or he can run well by dropping out.”

Jenkins has 20 horses in work at his Sunshine Coast stables and is a three-time Group 1-winning trainer.

His biggest win in Australia was with King Keitel in the Group 1 Doomben Cup in 2001 before later claiming the Group 1 Auckland Cup and Group 1 Zabeel Classic in 2005 with Bazelle.

He moved to the Sunshine Coast 12 years ago but has overcome a slow start to his Australian career.

“I couldn’t get started here for quite a while and I turned to cleaning for a period before I got going,” Jenkins said.

“I don’t miss the weather in New Zealand and the two hour drive just for a trial and the four hour trips to get to some of the race meetings.

“I’ve just had a clean out of my stables here and I’ve got 20 in work.”