Guns Away is bred to be a stayer being a half-brother to Blazing Away (City Place) who won back-to-back LR Bunbury Cups (2000m) and their dam Malaika (Fighting Falcon) also excelled over ground winning a LR Pinjarra Cup (2300m).
What’s more, he looked like a stayer, albeit against midweek opposition, in the MCA Polytrack Maiden (2100m) at Belmont for a syndicate managed by Courtland Park owner-breeders Tony & Kerry Cockburn.
In a leisurely-run race that should not have suited a backmarker last Wednesday, Guns Away (Maschino) sat at the tail of the field and was still good enough to run down Zoomachino (Maschino) and odds-on favourite Miss Graphene (Awesome Rock).
Guns Away was given ample time to mature by original trainer David Harrison before transferring to Herne Hill-based Tania Burns earlier this year. He didn’t debut until July and was stretching out to 2100m for the first time at his fifth outing for an ownership group that still includes Harrison’s Bridge Patrol Lodge.
“It’s a lovely surprise,” Burns said back in the enclosure. “I knew he had a win like this in him eventually but he’s learned the craft a bit earlier than I thought. He hasn’t been a very confident horse until now but it all came together in the small field today.”
Guns Away led home a quinella for Alwyn Park resident Maschino (Encosta de Lago) who is an all-purpose sire of black-type winners from 1000m (Fabergino) through to 2400m (Machine Gun Gracie).
His dam Malaika is by Heytesbury Stud’s USA-bred stallion Fighting Falcon (Manila) from LR Belmont Park Cup (2100m) winner Our Annabel (Lucratif). The Cockburns have been breeding from the family at Dandaragan going back to third-dam Just Say Go (Star Of The North) who hailed from Milluna Stud in South Australia.
Legendary horseman Jim O’Connor stood numerous leading stallions at Milluna Stud including Twig Moss (Fr) who was twice crowned Champion Sire of Australia. Among his progeny was Hanging In, a half-brother to Just Say Go, who won a G2 Winterbottom Stakes (1400m), G3 Alan Scahill Stakes (1400m) and G3 Roma Cup for Champion WA trainer Len Pike and his wife Mavis.
The Cockburns tapped into that success when Jeremy Hayes offered them a free service to Lucratif who was standing with Steve Wallace at Blackwatch Stud. “Jeremy had a share to spare so I bought Just Say Go,” Tony recalled. “She was already 19 years old and cost just $500. Our Annabel was her only foal for us but it’s been a wonderful family with three black-type winners so far and we’re hoping Guns Away can make the grade into a race like the Perth Cup!”
Malaika has an unraced full brother to Guns Away named Go Jack and, like Guns Away, he’s been given plenty of time to develop by David Harrison. The Cockburns received more good news last week when it was confirmed Malaika is in foal to Westbury Park sire A Lot (USA).
