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By Ray Hickson

Mal Coupe is lucky to be alive let alone chasing his fourth win for the preparation at Randwick on Saturday – and he has the scar to prove it.

Trainer Stephen O’Halloran says the lightly raced four-year-old, whose name is French for ‘badly cut’, deserves his chance in the Midway Handicap (1100m) and is pleased to see him giving owners Gary and Kay Stevenson plenty to cheer for.

Trainer Stephen O'Halloran

As he was enjoying paddock life, at his owners’ property in Orange, in his early days the son of Xtravagant had a run-in with a fence and it was touch and go as to whether he’d survive but the Stevensons wanted him saved.

“He had a massive scar from his shoulder down to his fetlock joint,’’ O’Halloran said.

“He ran through a fence as a foal or a weanling and the vet at the time said they were probably better off putting him down because it was going to be hard for him to survive.

“Gary and Kay didn’t want to do that and nursed him back.

“When they showed me the photos you could see down to be bone but it healed up and it’s been to my benefit moreso than anybody else’s the way he’s racing.”

While Mal Coupe’s first preparation didn’t realise a placing in four starts O’Halloran said he learned a lot about the gelding that he put into play when he returned back in May.

He ventured out to Bathurst to notch his maiden win on a heavy track and continued to step up with wins at Hawkesbury on July 3 and an all the way victory at Canterbury some 20 days later.

“Time is great for them if you have a bit of patience,’’ he said.

“He just came back more mature in the head, stronger in the body, and this prep touch wood everything has been pretty good.

“I learned the hard way you don’t go into the city if you’re not going to be competitive. Especially with a stable like mine, I haven’t got a lot of city class horses just yet.

“He’s had a very good prep and has just kept improving which is good.”

O’Halloran, who worked for Gai Waterhouse for 17 years prior to going out on his own - firstly training for Paul Fudge then in his own right in 2021, has 15 in work at Hawkesbury and he sees no reason why Mal Coupe can’t continue his rise through the grades.

He's wary it’s not going to be an easy task but is confident the horse hasn’t taken a step back since his last start win.

“He won really well on the heavy track at Bathurst and we stepped him up to the provincials, when he won again at Hawkesbury he improved again so he deserved a chance to go to town,’’ he said.

“It was a nice race at Canterbury, a 64, he had to improve to win it and it was probably his best win this prep.

“It’s his sixth run in, we have spaced his runs which I think has helped him.

“He hasn’t shown any signs he’s trained off or had enough, I don’t have to do a whole lot with him and it’s about keeping him mentally fit."

Mal Coupe wins at Canterbury on July 23

Winona Costin has been on board Mal Coupe, $5 with TAB on Wednesday, all preparation and O’Halloran said from the slightly awkward barrier he’ll leave it to the jockey to sort it out.

“We’ll be positive but it won’t be lead at all costs. If she needs to take a sit she will, if she gets to the lead well and good,'' he said.

“We can’t fault him this prep, he’s been peaking every run which is good and he looks nice and bright and happy in himself so we’re hoping for a really good run.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday’s Randwick meeting