Sharks circling rivals
NRL legend and Te Akau Shark part-owner Paul Gallen says he is no expert on horse racing but is acutely aware of what is at stake at Randwick today.
Te Akau Shark, the boom New Zealander trained by Jamie Richards, is $2.80 favourite with Ladbrokes to score his first Australian win in the Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m).
“The fact I have a horse I part-own running in a Group 1 is amazing,’’ Gallen said.
“If he can win, it would be an enormous thrill.
“I didn’t go across for his first Group 1 win in New Zealand last start but I was there for the Epsom Handicap when he went so close to beating Kolding and went to the Cox Plate to see him run third which was amazing.
“But if he can win this race, it would be a pretty cool thing for myself.’’
Te Akau Shark, the first horse Gallen has owned, is attempting to become the first New Zealand-trained galloper to win the Chipping Norton Stakes since Bruce Wallace’s Kingston Bay in 1993.
“I would love to see him get a result,’’ Gallen said.
“The Queen Elizabeth Stakes is his grand final but I’m hoping he can have success in every race he goes in starting today.’’
Gallen had a celebrated career in the NRL, playing 348 first-grade games for Cronulla and was captain of their 2016 NRL premiershipwinning team.
He played 24 Origin games for NSW and was capped 32 times for Australia.
A high-class field has been assembled for the $600,000 Chipping Norton Stakes headed by proven weightfor-age campaigner Avilius, Happy Clapper, dual Group 1 winner Fierce Impact and tough competitor Dreamforce.