Irishman William McCarthy has delivered a front-running masterclass at his first day riding in Australia to cause an upset in the $100,000 Hammonds Paints Thackeray Steeplechase (3450m) aboard the Henry Dwyer-trained The Dominator (NZ) (Thewayyouare) at Warrnambool on Sunday.
Arriving in Australia less than a month ago, the 38-year-old led from start to finish and in doing so brought to an end the winning run of the $1.30 favourite Flying Agent (NZ) (Raise The Flag) who finished fourth.
“It’s absolutely amazing, honestly this time twelve months ago I was lying on the flat of my back with a broken neck and I didn’t know if I could ever race or ride a horse again,” McCarthy said.
“Somebody asked me the other morning am I nervous about today, I said no I was nervous last year when I didn’t know if I could do it again.
“These horses I love them with all my heart.
“I’m only a member of second level education but thoroughbred horses have brought me all over the world.
“The jumping game in Australia is just superb and I’m just blessed to be a part of it.”
McCarthy broke three bones in his neck last June while riding in America, where he was crowned the leading jumps rider in 2014.
Not only was the story of the Thackeray Steeplechase one of persistence for his rider, but also the intestinal fortitude of his mount, The Dominator.
An emotional Dwyer spoke glowingly in his admiration for his charge who won his tenth race on Sunday and took his career earnings past A$263,394.
“I’ve been training about nine years and he’s been with me for about six years,” Dwyer said of his bond with The Dominator.
“He is a special horse to us he’s spent a lot of time at Ballart and a lot of time down at the farm and he just takes a lot of extra work this horse.
“It’s just great I’ve never been prouder of a horse.”
Originally raced in New Zealand out of the Chris McNab stable by breeder Windsor Park Stud, where he won two races from ten starts, The Dominator was purchased by his new connections in 2016 as a jumping prospect but after a nasty fall at Pakenham some twelve months later, it was almost a very different outcome.
“He has just come such a long way, early in his career like he had a couple of falls there and he was really close to being put down a couple of times,” admitted Dwyer.
“He had a couple of nasty falls and to pick himself up and improve his jumping… he’s had a couple of tendons done and is just the toughest horse you’ll come across.”
In the other steeplechase event of the afternoon, Social Element (NZ) (Savabeel) proved he has an exciting future at the caper for the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable after a comprehensive 30-length win in the $35,000 Mark Primmer Memorial BM120 Steeplechase (3450m).
A last start winner under Tom Ryan at the course and distance, the seven-year-old son of Savabeel is unbeaten in three jumps performances at Warrnambool.
The Waterhouse-Bott runner was having just his second start back after almost two years on the sidelines.
