Driver Jack Callaghan.
FRESH from a winning treble at Menangle’s final meeting for the season last weekend, ace Hunter Valley reinsman Jack Callaghan is ready for a big welcome home party at Newcastle this afternoon.
Callaghan has been chasing premier reinsman Cameron Hart for much of the season, even though most of the time he is relegated to driving the second stringers for the powerful Belinda and Luke McCarthy stable.
The young reinsman made the big move from Newcastle to be permanently based at Cobbitty with Team McCarthy in July last year and has been in slashing form and now has an incredible 156 winners for the season and is almost assured of adding to that today at Newcastle.
“Moving down to Sydney to work with the McCarthys was definitely an opportunity I was thankful for and they’ve been the key to my success,” says Callaghan.
“Getting winners is the best way to get drives from other people too, so I just want the winners to keep coming.
“I always had the confidence that if I had the right horsepower I could deliver.
“So, it has been good to get that most of the time.”
Callaghan landed Ilikemebettor and Fairy Tinkabell as winners for the McCarthy team on Saturday night and also won with an ‘outside’ drive on Mach Dan for Kevin Pizzuto.
That saw him make up the slightest bit of ground on Cameron Hart, who landed a winning double and has the premiership all sewn up with an incredible 174 winners for the year.
With Hart absent today, Callaghan gets the chance to dominate at Newcastle with some outstanding chances.
Local trainers have lined up to book the star young driver and he’ll be aboard Just Feelngood for Fullerton Cove trainer Peter Payne in Race 1 and A Good Ideal for South Tamworth trainer Richard Williams in Race 2.
Wyee trainer Joe Clark has Callaghan booked to drive Misterfire, the $4 favourite in Race 3 before the ‘boss’, Belinda McCarthy sends him around with one of their two chances at Newcastle, New Yorker, the $2.25 favourite in Race 4.
On a busy afternoon, Callaghan also steers Miss Lilliromar ($10) in Race 6 for Elrington trainer Margot Lennox and Hidden Delight ($2.25 favourite) for his Morisset-based trainer-father Mark Callaghan in Race 7.
Callaghan’s day closes with another top hope in Misdemeanor ($4) for Belinda McCarthy in Race 8.
