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Horse Tales: Scallopini feeling fresh

22 March 2022

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DS1-6777.JPGBy Glenn Davis

 

It’s usually in hope more than anything else that trainers utter the well-worn line “he’s going to need luck from the alley”.

 

So, it came as no surprise when co-trainer Matt Hoysted made the comment pre-race after Scallopini drew a horror barrier in the Sunshine Coast Cup in January.

Scallopini was chasing his second Sunshine Cup after taking out the race in 2020 and was second-up in the 1400m Listed feature.

The son of Snitzel was having only his second start since July last year after producing an eye-catching performance to finish sixth to star sprinter Isotope in the Magic Millions Sprint at the Gold Coast in January. 

The Sunshine Cup win marked the end of the TAB Queensland Summer Carnival and, while it may not have resonated with many around Australia, it was a super training performance from Steve O’Dea and Matt Hoysted.

“It was great to see him back in the winner’s stall as it’s been a while for him,” O’Dea said.

“He won this race two years ago and his first run back next preparation he won the (Listed) Hinkler and he’s been winless since.

“But a lot of times he drew bad gates and didn’t have a lot of things go well for him.

“Even though he drew a bad gate (in the Sunshine Coast Cup) I wasn’t worried too much as he was able to get over without too much problem.”

O’Dea’s summation echoed the pre-race thoughts of his training partner Hoysted, who boldly predicted Scallopini would be hard to beat despite jumping from barrier 14.

“He was sensational on Magic Millions day and only got beaten 2.7 lengths by Isotope in the Magic Millions Sprint,” Hoysted said.

“He loves the sting out of the ground and the risk he ran in the Sunshine Coast Cup was getting too far back.”

Scallopini’s Sunshine Cup win was his 10th in 32 starts earning him more than $600,000 in prizemoney for his big band of owners.

He started his career in brilliant fashion, winning two of his first three starts at the provincials before winding up his initial campaign with a second in a Class Two at Doomben in January, 2018.

Two starts into his next campaign he was given his chance at Stakes level but disappointed to tail off last behind The Bostonian in the Listed Daybreak Lover at the Sunshine Coast five months later.

After a month’s break, O’Dea sensed Scallopini produced his best performances fresh by winning in restricted grade at Ipswich.

His consistency continued with a win and two placings from his next four starts before he broke through for the first time in the metropolitan area at Doomben in September, 2018.

He produced the best form of his career winning three of his next six starts in late 2019 before given another chance at Stakes level when second in the Listed Falvelon at Eagle Farm in December, 2019.

He then finished eighth to Madam Rouge in the 2020 Magic Millions Sprint before downing the Steve Tregea-trained Niccanova in his first Sunshine Coast Cup triumph.

He proved the Sunshine Coast win was no fluke with a first-up win in the Listed Hinkler at Doomben in May, 2020 before winding up his campaign with two more placings in the Listed Ascot Handicap and Listed Spear Chief that year.

Those performances at Listed level increased Scallopini’s rating and made him hard to place for his future races.

Scallopini failed to win in his subsequent eight starts in top grade.

He missed a place in the Group 3 George Moore, Listed Keith Noud and The Buffering before showing a glimpse of his best when sixth in last year’s Magic Millions Sprint won by Eleven Eleven.

However, the stable did offer excuses when he failed in the Group 2 Moreton Cup and Listed Glasshouse Handicap during last year’s winter carnival.

“He was always going to have only two runs in his last preparation during the summer on Magic Millions day and in the Sunshine Coast Cup,” Hoysted said.

“Stemming back from the Magic Millions 12 months ago we were setting him for a few races in the winter carnival.

“He pulled a shoe in the Moreton Cup then he went to the Glasshouse and led which isn’t his go.

“He‘s having a beak now and will come back to get ready for the winter.”

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O’Dea and Hoysted have thrown down the challenge to their rivals since starting up their training partnership two years ago.

The pair currently are third on the Brisbane trainers’ premiership behind eight-times winner Tony Gollan and champion Sydney trainer Chris Waller.

O’Dea is the son of North Queensland trainer Graham O’Dea and has had a long-standing affiliation with horses.

After initially enrolling in a Bachelor of Economics, it was not long before he realised his career belonged in the racing industry. 

After working for leading trainers Gai Waterhouse, Gillian Heinrich, Alan Bailey and Kevin Moses, O’Dea returned to north Queensland to take over from his retiring father.

With a growing stable he took a small team to Brisbane in 2009 and struck immediate success with Kiss Me Katy and Go Cart.

After winning multiple Stakes races, O’Dea decided to make a permanent move to Brisbane and hasn’t looked back since. He’s established himself as one of the state’s top trainers.

His success and ever-growing stable numbers saw him join in a training partnership with Hoysted who had been his assistant for four years.

Scallopini RETIRED 2024
Steven O'Dea & Matthew Hoysted Next Racing

Hoysted has racing flowing through his veins.

He grew up in Wangaratta in Victoria before moving to Melbourne as a 13-year-old.

He took his first job with Lloyd Williams at Flemington and after four years graduated to William’s Macedon Lodge working with champions Efficient, Gallic and Zipping.

He later was later offered a position at Michel Moroney’s Flemington stables, staying for five years including three as assistant trainer.

In 2014, he moved to Brisbane to work for Tony Gollan for 18 months before being offered the assistant training role with O’dea.

The pair have been in partnership since October, 2020 and the signs are looking bright for the future.

The stable continues to gather support from leading owners and syndication companies such as Proven Thoroughbreds who have been long-time supporters.

Hoysted said it was undecided what mission Scallopini would embark on during the Queensland Winter Carnival.

“He’s not really a Stradbroke horse and he’s more a 1200-1400m horse,” he said.

“But now he’s a little older he could potentially stretch out to a mile.”

The Stradbroke might be a bit rich for Scallopini but second-tier races look well within his scope judging by his Sunshine Coast Cup victory.

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