Gift horse gives battling owner Adelaide Cup dream

Mick O’Loughin knows you’re not meant to look a gift horse in the mouth.

But if it was up to him, he’d look at his Adelaide Cup contender Eventually every waking hour of the day.

O’Loughlin’s 5% share in the last-start G3 winner was literally gifted to him by trainer Sarah Rutten, who was appreciative of the role he and his wife Kaye played in her burgeoning stable.

By his own admission, O’Loughlin is a “jack of all trades and a master of none” who, on any given day, could be repairing broken brooms, cleaning hard-to-reach spots under the treadmill or making sure the tyres on the float are full of air.

His favourite thing to do at the stable’s is feed Eventually hand-picked thistles.

His least favourite thing to do is talk about his health.

Given the seriousness of conditions he is battling, there are plenty of reasons for O’Loughlin to bemoan the hand he’s been dealt. Instead, he prefers to focus on the ace up his sleeve.

“I’ve never considered that I’ve got a health issue,” O’Loughlin said.

“I was diagnosed with myelofibrosis, a form of blood leukemia, and I’m on medication for that and then I got diagnosed with prostate cancer and then they did a PET scan on me and told me I had shadows on the lungs, my spine and my ribs.

“I think they’ve got it all wrong but I’m on a fair whack of medication.

“I look at the paper and see shocking stories of young kids that are suffering from this horrible disease (cancer).

“I’m nearly 80 and I’m coming to the end of my tether but some of these poor little buggers aren’t going to see much of life other than the inside of a bloody hospital.

“I don’t consider that there’s anything wrong with me and until there is, I’ll keep living the dream.

“She (Eventually) has made one hell of a difference to my attitude – why would I want to be moping around and dying when you’ve got something like that (Eventually) that’s so much a part of what you are and what I’ve got to live for.”

Rutton bought Eventually for $5500 as a tried horse from her former boss Tony McEvoy via Inglis Digital in 2023.

It took the daughter of Helmet 11 starts to break through for the Murray Bridge trainer but, since that win in a lowly 0-56 handicap at Gawler in October 2024, she’s steadily risen through South Australia’s staying ranks.

Wins in the Skybeau Stayers Series Final in November at the Lord Reims last month have Eventually rated $26 in Monday’s Adelaide Cup (3200m) at Morphettville.

O’Loughlin reckons he dreams about Eventually most nights but those dreams might be a little more vivid this week.

“The old adage is take one day at a time but to even contemplate having a horse good enough to run in the Adelaide Cup is amazing,” he said.

“This is the first horse I’ve ever had my name in the racebook as an owner.

“They reckon you’re allowed to dream but how often do dreams come true?

“If she could go on and win the Adelaide Cup, I don’t know what the celebrations would be but I’m telling you what, it will be whoopee at Morphettville.”