Cochy Malc impresses on debut

By Jonny Turner

Toliman Lodge proprietors Ken Barron and Blair Orange unveiled a trotter with a good future at Addington on Friday night in impressive debut winner, Cochy Malc.

The Dream Vacation 3yr-old continued his dam Cochy Bondu’s perfect record when striding to an effortless win in race 1.

Barron confirmed his stable has a decent opinion of the horse.

“He is a lovely horse.”

Cochy Malc became the fourth winner of four foals his four-win dam has had at the races.

That breeding is part of the reason Barron can see his 3yr-old putting together a good record.

“If he keeps improving the way he is, with his breeding, he should go up through the grades.”

Cochy Malc is a half-brother to Over The Love, who rushed through to open class when winning six of his 19 starts for Barron and Orange.

The talented Love You gelding has missed this entire season after being injured ahead of his last start third in the group 3 Southern Lights Trot at Ascot Park in March of last year.

“He broke a splint bone on the float on the way down for the Southern Lights Trot and he still ran third,” Barron said.

“When we got him home it took us quite a while to figure out why he was sore.”

“He has just started fast working again now.”

Cochy Malc will try to add to his family’s record while Over The Love progresses towards the races.

Barron plans to give the 3yr-old a handful of starts during the winter before freshening him.

Barron and Orange completed a winning double when Bettor Grunter took out race 5.

The 3yr-old Bettor’s Delight gelding had made steady progress towards the winner’s circle, running second to Arden Messi leading in to the event.

According to his trainer, it has been a lack of focus, rather than a lack of ability that has stopped Bettor Grunter from winning before Friday night.

“He is one of those big, dumb horses that switches on and off in his races and that has been his problem.”

It is hoped that more racing will help the 3yr-old develop his race smarts.

Barron was not the only trainer at Friday night’s meeting to notch a winning double.

Robert Dunn notched back-to-back victories when Hayden’s Meddle took out race 6 and Kensington Bill won race 7.

Hayden’s Meddle held on to win race 6 by a head over Cast No Shadow in an exciting finish to Friday night’s feature pace.

The 6yr-old made a sweeping run around the field before hanging tough in the home straight for driver John Dunn.

Kensington came with a big finish wide on the track to win for stable junior driver Korban Newman.