Hometrack treble for O'Brien

Danny O'Brien was on fire at his home track on Saturday as he scored a winning treble at Flemington.

O’Brien saluted with Pins On Ice, Impressive Eagle and At The Heads to take his city winners tally for the season to 12 (11 Vic, 1 SA) and jump him up to sixth on the Victorian Metropolitan Premiership.

“It was a very good day for the stable as we came here confident that our five runners would run well and they all have as we have come away with the treble and two fourth placings,” O’Brien said.

“It’s always good to train winners and hopefully we can continue this good form through the Christmas-New Year period.”

O’Brien is keen to take on mares’ Group races in the autumn with broodmare prospect Impressive Eagle after she made it two wins from four starts for him in Race 6 on Saturday.

Now a five-year-old, she was a dual stakeswinner in Adelaide for owner Wolf Blass and trainer Leon Macdonald before she was sold mid-year.

"Antony Thompson at Widden Stud with some of his clients bought her to end up at Widden I would say later this year," O'Brien said.

"But we're going to run her on this season and she's won two races since the boys bought her.

"On that - it was a good open class field - we'll give her the chance in the autumn in some mares’ stakes races.

"She's a Rubiton so you don't overwork those sort of horses, we've kept her reasonably happy and fresh and she's been a bit dependent on her luck on the day.

"She's had four starts for us and she's had no luck in two and in the other two it has gone the right way and they are the two she's won.

"She was a very good horse when Leon Macdonald had her in Adelaide. He ran third with her in a Group One race, the Sangster, so she's always had plenty of ability."

Impressive Eagle's victory in the Cleanevent Sustainability Hcp (1400m) was the middle pin of a treble for O'Brien and completed a treble for jockey Ben Melham.

"That was another excellent ride," O'Brien said of Melham's display on Impressive Eagle.

"He couldn't have ridden her better. She only had a head to spare and it was the ride that won her the race."

O'Brien best summed up Melham's form after the win of Pins On Ice ($4) in the TAB Sportsbet Handicap.

I said, 'we would like cover, but you're riding as well as anyone, so just do what you think'.

Melham did just that, and after being trapped wide early, he pushed forward to take up the running and control the tempo before kicking clear at the 300m to win easily on the Pins mare.

O'Brien’s treble was brought up by At The Heads in the final event on the program with Jamie Mott in the saddle, his first city winner since returning from a 6-month suspension for drug use.

“Jamie has done some hard yards, but his commitment in his return has been tremendous and his results this season (44 winners) is a testament to his great attitude,” O’Brien said.

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