Thelwell won’t be in the doghouse if he doesn’t win Saturday’s Group 2 Spirit Of Boom Classic at Eagle Farm as trainer Sharryn Livingstone has her hands full keeping the popular horse in his stable as it is.
The two-year-old rose to fame as the horse that sits like a dog in his box and went on to run second to boom filly Coolangatta on Boxing Day in the Group 3 BJ Mclachlan Stakes but Livingstone said the horse she labels a “terror” has a mind of his own.
CLICK HERE: SIGN-UP FOR A RACENET IQ MEMBERSHIP FOR ONLY $4.99
Stabled at Livingstone’s Kurwongbah property north of Brisbane, Thelwell recently led the neighbourhood on a bizarre chase after he broke free of his box.
“He is too smart for his own good,” Livingstone laughs.
“On Easter Sunday he opened two gates and let himself out, he was running riot around the neighbourhood.
Coolangatta confirmed favouritism for the $2 million The Star Gold Coast Magic Millions 2YO Classic with a brilliant fresh up win in today’s Magic Millions BJ McLachlan Stakes at Doomben. Congratulations @cmaherracing, @mcacajamez and all connections.
📷 – @MMcInallyPhotos. pic.twitter.com/ZeFTGyYlEi— Magic Millions (@mmsnippets) December 26, 2021
“We were running down the driveway after him, we got the neighbours involved too, so we were trying to catch him and he’s just running around, looking for the Easter bunny or something.
“He let himself out of the two gates and it’s only that I heard the horses running around and I thought something wasn’t right.
“I looked in his yard and I could see his gate open and I couldn’t see him, but I could hear him, he was out near the shed.
“As he saw me, that’s when he decided to run away and run amok, up and down the road, into the neighbours place, they own some of him.
“In the end, he came back and dad caught him, that’s why I call him the terrorist.”
Thelwell sits like a dog in his box.
While Thelwell’s penchant to sit like a dog hasn’t changed, Livingstone said she will get a guide of where her pride and joy is at following Saturday’s clash with the likes of Capital Tower and Exo Lady.
Rated a $26 chance, Livingstone is bringing the gelding in with no barrier trial, while a number of the fancies have a run under their belt already.
“He still sits down … quite often in the morning he doesn’t really want to get up, it takes him a while to get going,” Livingstone said.
“He jumped out last Tuesday at Eagle Farm, he was cheeky there and did a few things wrong, he was playing cat and mouse with the other horses.
“This is a tough race, Exo Lady is going to be hard to beat and then there’s Capital Tower which looks good, there are a few really nice ones in it.
“For me, I think it’s good because I can see where I’m at with him, so I will be happy if he’s in the top half of the field, within a few lengths of them.”
