Leading provincial trainer Darren Weir currently sits on top of the Melbourne Trainers’ Premiership,with a lead of five wins, but he is not expecting to extend his lead at Caulfield on Saturday.
Lord Of Brazil will make his Group 1 debut in the Toorak Handicap at Caulfield on Saturday. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Weir has Broken in the Group 2 Schillaci Stakes (1000m) and Lord of Brazil in the Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) and the always modest trainer told Racing Ahead this morning that he does not believe either horse is a realistic chance of winning.
Broken was one of the surprise packages of the early season races in Melbourne, scoring upset wins in the Group 3 Aurie’s Star Handicap (12000m) and the Listed Carlyon Stakes (1000m), but failed to fire in the Group 3 Bobbie Lewis Quality.
The seven-year-old gelding will be making his debut at Group 2 level and Weir said that the son of Halo Homewrecker has done everything right in the lead-up to the race.
“He seems to be good; he is well in himself and he is sound,” Weir said.
“I’m not saying that he is going to go there and win but from a good draw he will sit off them and hopefully he can run in the money.
“He had a little 600 metre gallop this morning and looked to work well.”
Veteran gelding Lord Of Brazil has competed at Group level only once in his racing career, finishing third in the 2013 Carlyon Cup (1600m), but will make his Group 1 debut in the Toorak Handicap this weekend.
Weir confesses that it is an ambitious target for the Lord Of Warriors gelding but said that the seven-year-old is heading into the race in excellent condition after strong lead-up runs in the Listed Drummond Golf Stakes (1200m) and the Jeep Don’t Hold Back Handicap (1500m).
“We are probably dreaming a little bit to think that we are going to win a race like this but he is an honest horse and he is fit and well,” Weir said.
“We thought that we would have a throw at the stumps.
“He seems to run better when you ride him that way so hopefully the gate won’t be a problem.
“I am happy with the order of both horses and if they could run top five I would be happy.”
Lord Of Brazil is rated an $18 chance in the Toorak Handicap while Broken is priced at $8 to win the Schillaci Stakes.
