Brisbane Cup for Japan Racing Association winner Guardini

French import Guardini will now head to Queensland for the Brisbane Cup after scoring an impressive win in the Group 3 $150,000 Sharp Japan Racing Association Plate (2000m) at Randwick today.

Guardini will now head to Queensland for the Brisbane Cup after winning the Japan Racing Association Plate at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.

Guardini will now head to Queensland for the Brisbane Cup after winning the Japan Racing Association Plate at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.

Guardini has winning form over 2400m in Europe and trainer Lee Freedman said that the Group 2 $300,000 Evergreen Turf Brisbane Cup (2400m) at Eagle Farm on June 11 looks ideal for the grey stayer who has more improvement left in him.

“I do think there is still a bit of improvement in him today,” Freedman said.

“Definitely a Brisbane Cup horse, you know down on the limit somewhere,” Freedman said with a giggle referring to the possibility of Guardini getting into the Brisbane Cup with a light weight.

Even tough Hugh Bowman was unable to get closer than three wide from the outside barrier, Freedman said that Guardini seemed to be travelling nicely in the run and he felt confident that he would be in the finish.

“Don’t worry too much that he was three deep, they are used to doing that overseas and the horse just travelled beautifully,” Freedman said

“He is just coming into himself now and he is a high class hose.”

Gaurdini was having his fourth race start for Freedman since arriving in Australia and said that the five year old had really done well during this Autumn campaign which included a last start second to Leebaz in the Group 3 $150,000 Easter Cup (2000m) at Caulfield on March 26.

“He has done absolutely brilliantly since the Spring and I think his run in the Easter Cup put the mark up on the board that he was about to do something like that and there is improvement in him.”

Bowman was able to work Guardini ($5) into the race coming to the home turn and even though he had a tendency to lay in all the way down the straight, he was able to record a one and a half lengths win over Index Linked ($21) with the $4.40 favourite Havana Cooler coming from midfield to be a quarter of a length away in third spot.

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.