Can Swan Hill’s Runpukya run?
You bet.
The three-year-old gelding has taken just two starts to break his maiden, and break it in style, scooting away to win the $40,000 bet365 Odds Protector Plate today – the first race of the 2023 Swan Hill Cup Carnival.
Bred and trained by Heath Chalmers, the horse’s first start at 30/1 in Bendigo in February saw him finish sixth out of 12 in an unlucky run.
But since then must have showed something because he was sent out the $3.20 favourite today.
Chalmers describes him as “a nice little horse we have had from day dot”.
He says he also has Mallee Hammer, the gelding’s half-sister.
“We have got a good bunch of owners in Runpukya, including plenty of Swan Hill people,” Chalmers says.
“His first start had been a bit unlucky, when we thought he would go pretty well, but he’s still a little bit green and got a little bit to learn – and he’s a bit of hard work at home – but hopefully he can put it altogether,” he says.
“He’s done a fair bit of work at home, especially flat work, and we have given him a few trials and he’s cottoned onto it a bit.”
Chalmers says Swan Hill Jockey Club track manager Mitch Makepeace “has done a great job with the surface and we got to have first go at it”.
“We also have Mallee Hammer entered in a couple of races over the weekend and am still deciding which one she will run in.”
