The "Rockhampton Rocket" was a dead set flyer, but setbacks denied him a Group one

The 'Rockhampton Rocket' comfortably made the transition from bush galloper to Sydney's sprinting sensation and he built a legion of fans along the way from Gympie to Randwick. The Hawkes-trained gelding's record once stood at an imposing 16 wins and one placing from 18 starts. He notched up five wins in a row, including three in Sydney for his new stable by an aggregate margin of 5.6L.

The story inspired by Our Boy Malachi began in Gympie, a town in the Sunshine Coast hinterland where Glen Boss got his start. North Queensland is a popular destination for horses struggling in Sydney, but Our Boy Malachi reversed the trend. He finished second at his first start and then won his next by 11 lengths on the sand track at Gympie in January, 2011.

His story didn’t pick up pace though, until more than a year later. With a winning sequence of one, Our Boy Malachi suffered his first setback and didn’t race for 16 months, during which time he was transferred to Rockhampton trainer John O’Sing, an old mate of owner Col Donovan. O’Sing, a trainer who was also a painter, recalled the arrival in his stable of the horse who was to become Rockhampton’s favourite. He was by the sire Top Echelon, a pretty good 2YO by Umatilla, winning a couple in Brisbane, and also ran second to Lovely Jubly in the Group One TJ Smith Classic. He is from the mare Rusticate, who unfortunately died not long after producing Our Boy Malachi. Seven to race for seven winners and, luckily, she saved the best for last.

On return to the track, Our Boy Malachi won 12 of his 13 starts for O’Sing, the only defeat coming in their first trip to town, when he ran fifth in the Bribie Handicap at Doomben in May 2014. After two more runs, both of them wins, Donovan and his trainer agreed there was only one way to find out how good their horse was, and that was to send him to a big-city trainer. O’Sing was sorry to lose Our Boy Malachi, but he understood. The Donovan’s chose John Hawkes and his sons Michael and Wayne to extract whatever was left in their rising seven-year-old gelding.

They quickly discovered that there was an abundance. Our Boy Malachi trialled twice for the Hawkes’ team, running respectably enough to be sent out at odds-on in his first start for the new stable and won convincingly. Another three victories followed, the last of them in the Gr.3 Hall Mark Stakes at Randwick three months after Col Donovan’s death. Third place in the Gr.1 BTC Cup was a fair effort and looked an ideal lead-up to the Gr.1 Stradbroke Handicap. Then came the horse’s second big setback. Our Boy Malachi bled from both nostrils in the Stradbroke and finished last. A few months later he had a colic attack and it was thought he might have to be put down. Then the fairytale began again as the Rockhampton Rocket, now a seven-year-old and fully recovered, got ready for another campaign, with a trouble-free winning breeze up in a Rosehill barrier trial.

While all appeared well, there is always a lingering concern after a horse has bled. Such a concern surfaced after he tailed the field after missing the start in a second barrier trial and senior trainer John Hawkes said it had become a “flip-of-the-coin” decision to run in the Expressway after the track came up heavy on race morning. Our Boy Malachi’s three-length win justified everything and calmed the team down. In April 2016 he contested the Gr.1 T.J Smith at Randwick, but a poor start with Dwayne Dunn aboard was costly, finishing 4th - it was "that race" where the brilliant Chautauqua exploded in a mighty win for the ages. After a spell, Our Boy Malachi resumed in October with a fine second placing in the Gr.2 Premiere Stakes in Sydney, beaten by a wide gate. His final victory, and penultimate run would come at Caulfield over 1000m in the Gr.2 Caulfield Sprint. The horse displayed his greatest characteristics with a gentle start, before winding up out wide and charging home for a last to first victory. It was the horse at his absolute best.

In November he contested the Gr.1 Darley classic, but sadly bleed again and received a lifetime ban from racing. Our Boy Malachi paraded at Rockhampton's Callaghan Park in December 2016 as a final farewell and a goodbye to his loyal followers. Adrian Coome was fortunate enough to saddle up on Our Boy Malachi for 12 wins, 10 consecutively, and had the last ride. As he said his goodbyes to the retiring horse, his mind flashed back to his final race on him. The 2014 Rockhampton Newmarket. To Coome, it was their crowning glory as the dynamic duo signed off in style.

"That was our best win. He almost fell over and I nearly came off him. But he overcame that and still held on to win," He knows there is no replacing this Callaghan Park superstar who came from obscurity to shine bright.

Jubilant senior part-owner, the late Col Donovan once greeted winning jockey Adrian Coome at Eagle Farm on return to scale with a chorus of “we’re the boys from the bush and we’re back in town”. From the bush to the bright city lights, it was a fairytale ride for all concerned.

RACE RECORD - 27: 19-2-1

EARNINGS - $946,400

G2 Caulfield Sprint

G2 Expressway Stakes

G3 Hallmark Stakes

LR Starlight Stakes

LR Razorsharp Stake