O’HALLORAN’S FILLY FINALLY GETS A BREAKTHROUGH

STEVE O’Halloran rather reluctantly took Nymphadora to his home track yesterday, concerned initially she might not shape up.

But shape up she did at her 11th start to finally shed her maiden status, and her trainer was mightily relieved.

Having twice been placed in town as a two-year-old – the first at $101 when a cracking third in the $500,000 Listed Inglis Nursery at Royal Randwick in December 2023 – Hawkesbury horseman O’Halloran found it hard to believe his three-year-old daughter of Yes Yes Yes still hadn’t posted her first success.

“It’s been frustrating for sure as she had been unlucky on a number of occasions, and lost her rider in a race at Wyong last November,” O’Halloran said.

And until he got Nymphadora to the track yesterday, he pondered whether the situation would change.

“Nymphadora gets herself worked up when she goes to the races at home, yet she is fine when I travel her away,” O’Halloran explained today.

“I had her in a suitable race at Wyong a week ago, but rain washed out the meeting,

“There wasn’t really another option but to take her to Hawkesbury yesterday to begin another preparation.

“But when I got her there and kept walking her, she was pretty settled.

“I said to my wife Stephanie that I had a good feeling about the race as Nymphadora has come back a lot stronger filly and is more mature.”

Ridden by Chad Lever, Nymphadora ($7.50) defeated Maid Of Moolah ($4) and Mother Goose ($3.60) in the Lawrence & Hanson Super Maiden Handicap (1100m).

O’Halloran was surprised as much as $10 was bet about his filly.

“If you went back through her form, she wasn’t hard to back at all,” he said.

“I was so pleased to see her breakthrough, especially for her owners who have been very loyal.”

O’Halloran turned Nymphadora out after that incident in a Midway Maiden Plate (1200m) at Wyong last November when she lost her rider Mitch Stapleford approaching the home turn.

“Nymphadora must have hit her head on the ground as there was blood there when she came back into the enclosure,” he said.

“I stopped with her and gave her a break.

“She had two nice trials (a win at Hawkesbury on February 24 and third at Rosehill Gardens on March 17; runner-up Reducio won first-up at Wyong last Thursday) without blinkers, and they went back on her yesterday.”

O’Halloran said Mitchell Bell rode Nymphadora in both trials, and was to have partnered her at Wyong a week ago.

“Unfortunately when I rang his manager, he had already been booked for a horse of Joe Pride’s in the Hawkesbury race,” he explained.

“Chad Lever helps me out at the jumpouts and I was pleased to have him on the filly.

“He has got his weight under control and is riding so well.”

 Bell rode $2.60 favorite Gunroom, which finished sixth to Nymphadora.

. Newcastle trainer Nathan Doyle up until a week ago was to have been at Royal Randwick to saddle his glamor colt Private Harry for the $3m Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes.

But when it was decided to spell the unbeaten three-year-old, Doyle instead headed to the Hawkesbury meeting and returned home a winner.

He took the Provincial Maiden Plate (1500m) with Empusa ($6).

Ridden by Andrew Adkins, Empusa defeated heavily-backed $4.80 favorite O’Cara Mia, who would have given trainer Ed Cummings a successful return to his Hawkesbury base.

Three-year-old Hellbent filly Empusa was having only her sixth start – and third for Doyle following earlier placings at Hawkesbury and Wyong.

Story John Curtis, April 6, 2025 - Pics Bradley Photos