Trainer Chris Waller is hopeful that Brazen Beau can step-up when he takes on a strong field in the 2014 Champagne Classic at Doomben on Saturday.
Nash Rawiller will partner Brazen Beau on the 2014 Champagne Classic at Doomben this weekend. Photo by: Daniel Costello
Brazen Beau made his racing debut with a dominant four and a half lengths win in the Australian Turf Club Handicap (1100m) at Canterbury on February 5 and finished within two lengths of Alpha Miss, Memorial and Aerobar in the Listed Lonhro Plate (1100m) at Warwick Farm on March 8.
The I Am Invincible colt was sent for a freshen-up, after running in the Lonhro Plate, before finishing third in a barrier trial over 1050 metres behind Sports Edition and I Am Impressed at Royal Randwick on April 22 and Waller believes that the colt has the ability to run well in the Champagne Classic this weekend.
“He needs to step-up to this level, but I think that he is quite a capable horse,” Waller said.
“He showed that at Canterbury when he won impressively on debut and in his second start he wasn’t too far away from them on a wet track.
“Hopefully he gets a good surface to run on in this race.
“He has trialed well going into this race and has settled in up there after he arrived Thursday morning.”
Waller was the star trainer of the 2014 Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival, taking out the Group 1 Queensland Derby (2400m) with Hawkspur, the Group 1 Doomben Cup with Beaten Up and the Group 2 BRC Sires Produce Stakes (1350m) with Zoustar, while Foreteller and Moriarty also performed well during the Carnival.
Hawkspur, Foreteller, Zoustar and Moriarty all went on to record impressive victories during the 2013 Spring Racing Carnival in both Sydney and Melbourne and Waller is hoping that a stint in Brisbane will help Brazen Beau develop as a horse before returning for a stint in the spring.
“As we see year in and year out, Queensland makes horses and hopefully Brazen Beau is one of them,” Waller said.
Waller is chasing his second win in the Champagne Classic after winning with Pressday in 2010 and finishing second with Vilanova in the 2013 edition of the race.
Brazen Beau is currently available at 2014 Champagne Classic odds of $9; with Darley filly Shaumari ($3.50) a narrow favourite from Royal Randwick Stakes winner Eloping ($4.80), the undefeated Furbish ($7.50) and Gerald Ryan-trained Time For War ($8).
