Racing 2023: Japan’s Golden Eagle hopes Obamburumai impresses at Rosehill gallop

“When Take wasn’t able to come out, the money dried up for Obamburumai a bit, but they have been very keen to back him again today. He is a $10 chance and will probably start shorter,” Ladbrokes’ Adam Hamilton said.

“They’re still very keen to stick with the horses they know and with Hawaii Five Oh, Amelia’s Jewel and Legarto all drawing well, the money continues to come for them.

“Anyone of those three could start favourite on Saturday.”

There is an element of the unknown about Obamburumai, who won a group 2 in his return as a Northern time three-year-old this year. He started single figures in betting when he was third in the NHK Mile Cup for three-year-olds in May, which prompted the trip to Australia.

Trainer Keiji Yoshimura was delighted with his work at Rosehill, which continues a preparation that saw the Discreet Cat colt leave Japan in good condition.

Wednesday’s workout was a valuable learning experience for both Parr and Obamburumai, who had not left Canterbury since arriving in Australia. He went through his paces on the inside fence.

“What I’m amazed with, [is] a lightly raced horse from a different country has turned up here at Rosehill this morning on his own and handled it with ease,” Parr said.

“He didn’t look at anything other than the track ahead of him, he was very focused. I’ve learned that we’ve got a very capable horse and a very intelligent horse too.”

Yoshimura said that 1500m would be the perfect trip for his horse as he is more of a sprinter-miler and this was one of the main reasons he chose to come to Australia.

“His bloodlines point to him [being better] over more of a shorter distance. I think the mile is pretty much the limit, no longer than the mile,” he said.

“It was a brilliant piece of work today. He was striding very well but at the same time, the jockey had a very good handle on the horse.

“The most important thing for me is just to get Obamburumai in his best condition for him to be able to run his race [on Saturday].”

‘I had to wear a name tag’: The gruesome injury that stopped Eagle jockey

Adam Pengilly

One day, you’re picking up the biggest ever cheque in your career, the next you’re sitting on a country track with your forearm almost bent at right angles. Who said horse racing wasn’t a great leveller?

If ever there was a fairytale story in the short history of the Golden Eagle, hard-working jockey Koby Jennings is it.

In 2020, the heavyweight hoop answered a call from Godolphin to ride Colette in the $7.5 million race, held in atrocious conditions. Jennings managed to drive Colette to a narrow win, his face splattered with mud as he returned to scale, revealing only a white patch when he took off his riding goggles.

Next month, Jennings was smiling as much as he did when he won the Golden Eagle - only because he’d been administered heavy painkillers as he sat on the turf at Goulburn, his arm broken in two places.

“It put me out of action for six months,” Jennings said. “I had to walk around with a name tag on [when I returned] so people could remember my name again.”

On Saturday, Jennings will ride in the Golden Eagle for the first time since that famous day at Rosehill, partnering $101 shot Communist for Michael Freedman.

Connections will donate 10 per cent of Communist’s prize money to rugby league legend Royce Simmons’ foundation as he raises awareness of dementia and alzheimer’s.

Jennings knows it will need a massive boilover to win the race again, but won’t have to think back far to remember what it takes to win a Golden Eagle, with Colette edging out Icebath.

“It probably took about a week to really sink in I’d won it,” Jennings said. “Every time I thought about it or someone would bring it up, I would just laugh as if it still didn’t really happen.

“It was pretty torrential rain just before the race. I knew it was going to test the horses a bit more. It almost feels like the races are run over further when the tracks are heavier.

“I’m not putting [winning it again] out of the equation, certainly not this year, and if not, in the years to come.”

Communist beat only three runners home in the Epsom Handicap last start after winning the Randwick Guineas during the autumn carnival. He hasn’t finished in the top 10 in his last four starts.

Amelia’s Jewel ($4) remained the Golden Eagle favourite with Sportsbet on Wednesday, shading Hawaii Five Oh ($4.40). New Zealand filly Legarto ($8) was the only other horse in single figures.