A fine start to the 2023/24 point-to-point season continued for Ocovango last weekend when Machismo made an impressive winning debut in a division of the four-year-old geldings’ maiden for top trainer Gordon Elliott.
Bought for €28,000 at the 2022 edition of the Tattersalls Ireland Derby sale by Mags O’Toole, the bay unsurprisingly caught Elliott’s eye being out of a half-sister to his dual Grade 1 winning mare Shattered Love.
Always to the fore at the Carlow venue for his first taste of competitive action, the bay had to overcome trouble in running when hampered by a loose horse heading out into the final mile whilst in front at the time.
But that did little to dent his chances as Harry Swan guided him to a debut three-and-a-half-length victory over Jack To Bat.
"He gave me a lovely feel,” Swan said after the race. “He was a little bit green and was kind of left in front early on.
“The loose horse didn't help him either, and he was running off the bends and everything, but when push came to shove, he gave me a lovely feel.
“He jumped well, pinged the last two and galloped away to the line. I'd say he is a nice horse."
Machismo is the fifth off-spring of Ocovango to have already won a maiden point-to-point this season, in a winning run that started with the success of Matthew Flynn O’Connor’s Caughtinyourtrance in the four-year-old geldings’ maiden at Toomebridge in October.
Since then, Voleur De Terres, Ridin Solo and Clashill have also all won their maidens to add to the growing list of winners that the Alne Park Stud resident has already produced, including a Grade 1 winner of his that has emerged from the pointing fields.
Earlier this year, Champ Kiely made all to land the Lawlor’s of Naas Novice Hurdle for Willie Mullins having started his career running in a four-year-old maiden at Dromahane for Pat Doyle.
Ocovango sired the most winners of any active stallion in the UK during the 2023 season, and his latest four-year-old point-to-point winner comes up for auction at the upcoming Tattersalls Cheltenham December sale.
