BENDIGO trainer Adam O’Neill is enjoying the most successful run of his training career.
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Since the start of February, O’Neill has saddled up 24 runners for seven winners and six placings.
“We’re very happy with the way things are going and, to be honest, we could have a had a few more winners,’’ O’Neill said this week.
“We got beaten with one at Benalla in an unbelievably close photo finish and had one just get beaten at Kilmore.
“We could have had eight or nine winners, but that’s racing and you can’t get greedy in this game.
“We’ve had a good run because we’ve placed our horses in the right races. We try to study fields as much as we can and pick the best possible races we can for the horse.
“We try to give the horse the best possible chance of earning as much prizemoney as they can each run. We want the owners to get a good run for their money.”
Two of the most improved horses in O’Neill’s care, Amaretto and Sky Brook, will fly the flag for the stable at Friday’s Bendigo Jockey Club meeting.
Amaretto returns to the track after a five-week let-up. The mare won two races on the trot before having excuses when running fourth at Sandown.
“She (Amaretto) slipped a couple of times at Sandown and had some muscle soreness out of the race,’’ O’Neill said.
“I thought she was a real top three chance that race. She’s better on the fresh side and she’s a horse that likes to race close to home because she doesn’t like being on the float.
“She had a trial last Tuesday and did everything that I wanted her to do. She’s ready to go for Friday.”
O’Neill purchased Amaretto and Sky Brook for a combined total of $1900 at the sales.
Amaretto and Sky Brook have won just shy of $20,000 each in their past three starts.
“Sky Brook has been a surprise packet,’’ O’Neill admitted.
“It took me some time to figure her out. Because she’s such a highly-strung horse I thought less work would suit her, but she was hitting the wall in the final 100m of her racing.
“I decided to up her workload and it’s paid off with her winning her maiden and her following start as well.
“I follow the same regime now and it makes a big difference with her. It keeps her focused.”
The major concern for O’Neill on Friday is Sky Brook’s barrier.
“She gets quite upset in the barriers so I’m not a fan of barrier one for her,’’ O’Neill said.
“She’s been winning her races from wide draws. That suits because she gets loaded into the barriers last.
“Hopefully, I can ask for her to be loaded last. She’s got a good, experienced jockey on her in Steven King, so hopefully he can keep her mellow in the gates.”
The biggest threats to the O’Neill stable on Friday could well come from fellow Bendigo trainers.
Amaretto will take on the Shane Fliedner-trained He’s Commanding who couldn’t have been more impressive in winning at Bendigo last start.
The Shaun Dwyer-trained Excitement has a win and a fourth from its two runs this campaign and it looks like one of the horses to beat in Sky Brook’s event.
