Trainer Chris Waller has revealed that he is leaning towards running Brazen Beau in the 2015 Diamond Jubilee Stakes during the Royal Ascot meeting next Saturday night (AEST).
Brazen Beau is on track to contest the 2015 Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot next weekend. Photo by: Adrienne Bicknell
Waller has been tossing up whether to run Brazen Beau in the Kings Stand Stakes on the opening day of the meeting over 1006 metres or the Diamond Jubilee Stakes over 1207 metres since the talented colt took out the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) in March during the 2015 Melbourne Festival Of Racing, but he now believes that the longer sprint will give the three-year-old the best possible chance to record an international Group 1 victory.
“I’ve watched the replays of the 1000-metre race and they’re more like quarter horse races,” Waller told Fairfax.
“The 1200 metres will give him a chance to get on the bridle and hopefully he will be the last one off the bridle.
“Over 1000 metres, regardless of how good our sprinters are, they still go fast over there and he will be out of his comfort zone, so we’re hoping for a fine weather forecast through to Saturday.”
Waller ha stamped himself as the premier trainer in Australian over the past five years and he claimed his 14th Group 1 victory of the season when Press Statement took out the Group 1 J.J Atkins (1600m) at Doomben on Saturday, but this is his maiden chance to take out an international event.
Things went amiss for Waller with Zoustar ahead of Royal Ascot last year, but the leading trainer is confident that history will not repeat itself with Brazen Beau in 2015
“The work is done this year and last year we were on the back foot before we started and we went over earlier and it just didn’t work out,” Waller said.
“I’m sure he is good enough to win the race and we just have to make sure he is in his best form on the day.”
Australia has previously won the Diamond Jubilee Stakes with Choisir, Starspangledbanner and Black Caviar will have two chances in the 2015 edition of the race, with Gai Waterhouse-trained Wandjina also set to contest the Group 1 event.
Brazen Beau is currently available at 2015 Diamond Jubilee Stakes odds of $3.80 with Ladbrokes and is a clear favourite from Mustajeeb ($7), Wandjina ($10), Due Diligence ($11), G Force ($13), Gordon Lord Byron ($17), Lightning Moon ($17) and Sole Power ($17).
