Ozzie Kheir and Coolmore join forces with exciting colt Public Attention for $3.5m The Kiwi

Big-time Australian owner Ozzie Kheir has swooped on an exciting Coolmore-owned colt to race in his slot in the new $3.5m The Kiwi slot race next Saturday.

Public Attention will race in the $3.5m The Kiwi slot race for Ozzie Kheir. Picture: Jeremy Ng/Getty Images

A high-powered chat with Coolmore’s Australian supremo Tom Magnier has led to Ozzie Kheir signing up exciting grey colt Public Attention for his slot in the inaugural $3.5m The Kiwi slot race on Saturday week.

Kheir, the only Australian-based slot-holder, left it until almost the last minute to swoop on the Mick Price and Michael Kent-Jr trained three-year-old son of Written Tycoon who is partly owned by Coolmore.

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“I rang Tom Magnier on Monday evening and threw up the idea to him, which was a bit left-field,” Kheir told Racenet.

“To my surprise, he didn’t say no.

“I don’t know whether you could say I convinced Tom to run the horse in The Kiwi, or I annoyed him into doing it.

“I am the only Australian to own a slot, I wanted to give something back to racing in New Zealand.

“I have had a lot of luck with buying horses out of New Zealand and the Kiwis have been great to me.

“Two of my better horses, (Group 1 Oakleigh Plate winner) Jimmysstar and Gringotts have come out of New Zealand.”

Ozzie Kheir will run Coolmore galloper Public Attention in The Kiwi. Picture: Getty Images

Public Attention, who won the Group 3 Eskimo Prince Stakes at Randwick this month before finishing fourth behind Broadsiding in the Group 2 Hobartville Stakes, will be one of the leading contenders in The Kiwi.

Ladbrokes has Public Attention as the $4 second pick for The Kiwi behind another Australian contender, Lindsay Park galloper Evaporate who is the $2.80 favourite after finishing fourth in the Group 1 Futurity Stakes behind Mr Brightside.

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The Kiwi is a new slot race, restricted to three-year-olds at set weights and penalties, and raced over 1500m on Champions day at Ellerslie on March 8.

“To have two Australian-trained three-year-olds leave their home states and bypass Guineas races in Australia to run in The Kiwi highlights the strength of the concept,” Kheir said.

“Securing a colt owned by Coolmore, one of the titans of world breeding, is also a massive coup for the race.”

Public Attention will be ridden by Wiremu Pinn in The Kiwi.

Kheir is contemplating going to New Zealand for the race as he will also have Interpretation racing in the Auckland Cup on the same day.

Originally published as Ozzie Kheir and Coolmore join forces with exciting colt Public Attention for $3.5m The Kiwi