Treble shows Sparrow’s still flying high

– Brad Kingsbury
CRANBOURNE jockey Mark ‘Sparrow’ Flaherty hit top form with a recent treble at Moe and is hoping his form holds as the rich Melbourne Spring Carnival approaches.
Flaherty’s timing was good with his home track’s showcase Cranbourne Cup meeting scheduled for this Sunday.
Although the 36-year-old veteran of two decades in the saddle does not have a ride in the race at this stage, he said winning the event was a long-held ambition.
“I’ve been close a couple of times. I finished third, fourth and fifth in the Cranbourne Cup and winning one has been an aim for a long time,” he said.
“You never know I might still get a ride (this year) and it would be good to have another crack at it.”
Flaherty started his career at the same time as star counterpart Damien Oliver and has chalked up well over 1000 winners.
His talent is undeniable and only his constant battle with weight has stopped him from gaining the opportunities to be rated alongside Oliver and other such stars of the saddle.
He has had several breaks from riding due to injury and weight problems but always returned to the sport he loves.
He spent four months in Macau 2003, winning his first Group 1 race there, and then returned to partner Clinton McDonald’s star miler Regal Roller to three more Group 1 successes in the 2004-05 season.
He has been a regular in the winners’ stalls over his 20-year career, especially on Gippsland tracks, which he regards as his home race courses and cited Sale as one of his favourite tracks, but said Caulfield will always hold a soft spot after his success with Regal Roller at the venue.
He maintains his weight and fitness by spending hours walking and is a common sight on the pavements of Cranbourne each morning.
Flaherty said he had not pencilled in any firm plans for the future but was happy working with his partner, trainer, Nikki Burke.
“I’d like to ride until I’m 40 providing my weight and body holds up. It’s always a slog with weight but I’m whacking away okay at the moment.”
“I’m mainly connected with Nikki now and I don’t ride a lot of outside work. We enjoy working together and that’s where I’m concentrating my efforts now.”
Nikki has a few promising horses that will race in summer and Flaherty expects to be busier after the main spring season, but still holds some hope of snaring a metropolitan ride or two over the carnival if he holds his form.
“You never know what might fall my way,” he chuckled.