The Magic Man Joao Moreira steered home Brazen Beau to give trainer Chris Waller back to back wins in the Group 1 $500,000 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington today.
Joao Moreira and Brazen Beau wins the Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington. Photo by Sarah Ebbett.
Waller saddled up last year’s winner, $20 million colt Zoustar, and went one better this year to provide the quinella with one of the outsiders of the field Delectation running second just ahead of another Sydney colt Kuro.
Hong Kong based Moreira combined with Waller during the Sydney Spring Carnival to win the Group 1 $500,000 The Star Epsom (1600m) at Randwick on October 4 with He’s Your Man and combined again today to record another Group 1 victory.
Brazen Beau was having his second try up the Flemington straight and Waller admitted that the I Am Invincible colt wasn’t fit enough when fifth as favourite to Rich Enuff in the Group 2 $200,000 Danehill Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on September 13.
Waller then took Brazen Beau back to Sydney to win the Group 2 $175,000 Sydney City Toyota Roman Consul Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on October 4 before returning to Flemington to set the record straight today.
“I worked out pretty quickly that he wasn’t fit enough for a 1200m race up the straight. It’s is all a part of learning,” Waller said.
“Bought him back home, built his confidence back up with a good win in the Roman Consul which was no bad field. He beat a good field and he has had a perfect preparation since.”
“I have purposely kept him under the radar the last week.”
Brazen Beau drew one from the outside in the sixteen horse field and Moreira was forced to stick with the outside group of horses when the field spilt in two, but Waller said he would have won no matter which side of the track he came down.
“I don’t have to take anything away from the horse not matter where he would have been he would have still won the race,” Waller said.
“He had a tough draw and had to go back to get cover but was exposed 500m from home as a lot of the horses were. He was strong on the line, a lot of the others weren’t.”
Moreira stuck to the outside fence when making his run on Brazen Beau ($8) at the 400m and went to the line strongly to record a one and quarter lengths win over stablemate Delectation ($51) with the Joe Pride trained Kuro ($6.50) a neck away in third spot.
The Ken Keys trained Rich Enuff was sent out the $2.90 favourite and after racing in the first half a dozen in the outside brigade faded over the concluding stages to be beaten six lengths in seventh spot.
Earthquake ($9, eighth) and Rubick ($8.50, twelfth) both put in their claims down on the inside at the 300m but both faded in the run to the line.
