Oughton ready for Sunshine Coast Cup

By Glenn Davis

Trainer Melissa Kelly is hopeful seasoned sprinter Oughton can rediscover his stakes-winning form of past years in the Listed Sunshine Coast Cup on Saturday.

The Gold Coast-based Melissa Kelly has been training on and off for about a dozen years and claimed her first Listed win of her career when Oughton won the Recognition Stakes at Doomben in 2024.

Oughton later gave Melissa Kelly her second stakes win in the Listed Eye Liner Stakes at Ipswich in June of last year.

Her father Trevor Fay was a popular Gold Coast trainer before his passing in 2012 and her father-in-law Les Kelly is a multiple premiership-winning trainer at the Gold Coast.

“I had a couple in work before Dad died and I gave it away when I became pregnant and had my son Cody who is now 11,” Melissa Kelly said.

“Dad left me a couple of horses to train when he passed away so I started training again and played around with them for a while.”

Melissa Kelly is kept busy with her team of eight in work including Oughton who is owned by Les Kelly.

“He’s a nice horse and I’ve always had a good opinion of him,” Melissa Kelly said.

Oughton was a $900,000 buy as a yearling at the Magic Millions sales and started his career with 'Team Hawkes' in Victoria before heading to Hong Kong where he won twice at Sha Tin during a short overseas stint.

He made his way back to Australia where he joined the Melissa Kelly barn following his last overseas race at Sha Tin in July of 2023.

“He went to Hong Kong and won a couple of races before he injured a tendon, but it wasn’t serious enough to end his career,” Melissa Kelly said.

“He had 10 months out after the injury and came back and was given away to my father-in-law Les (Kelly).”

Oughton had a minor setback following his last start eighth to the Tony Gollan-trained Rockribbed in the Listed Lough Neagh Stakes at Eagle Farm on December 20.

“He was supposed to barrier trial a few weeks ago, but he got a foot abscess which is fine now,” Melissa Kelly said.

“The track was too hard for him in the Lough Neagh and he was on the wrong part of the track.

“He’s a very consistent horse and is no slouch but this could be his last run before he goes to the paddock.”

Melissa Kelly has long range plans to tackle the Queensland Racing Carnival this winter and would like to get a slot in The Archer at Rockhampton.

“We nominated him for the Stradbroke last year, but his rating was too low,” Melissa Kelly said.

“We’ll probably do the same this year, but we may have to look at the second-tier races.”

Melissa Kelly has booked Irish jockey Martin Harley to partner the seven-year-old in the 1400 metre Sunshine Coast Cup.

“Robbie Dolan normally rides him but, unfortunately, he took another ride, so Martin is on him this time,” she said.

“Hopefully, we’ll have the luck of the Irish on our side again.”