All is bright with Mr B

[Wandering Eyes]

Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars) has emerged from his unplaced Champions Mile run without any issues, but racing’s popular warhorse is likely heading for a spell.

Co-trainer Ben Hayes said on Sunday morning that the weight-for-age star had eaten up and trotted up without problems on Sunday after concerns raised by jockey Craig Williams to Racing Victoria stewards after the race that his action felt “uncomfortable” and he feared there may be something amiss with the horse.

“He’s all fine,” Hayes said. “He’s pulled up with no problem. I just think the very, very heavy track and the strong tempo was a bit too much for him on Saturday.

“He’s eaten up and he actually trotted up really well. He probably hadn’t seen a heavy track like that since he won his second Doncaster, and he was a young horse then.”

The winner of nearly $19 million in stakes was sent out the well-backed $2.90 favourite for the $3 million race, but he finished out of the placings after losing his action in the run to the line.

Hayes conceded that Pride Of Jenni’s front-running tactics had proven difficult for Mr Brightside.

“Pride Of Jenni, her racing style doesn’t really suit our horse, but that’s racing,” he said.

The options remaining for Mr Brightside in 2025 are backing-up into next Saturday’s G1 Orr Stakes at Caulfield or heading to Perth for the $1.5 million Gold Rush next month.

“We’ll just see how he is, but it (spell) is probably likely,” he said. “No decision made as he has a Perth option and we were thinking of a backing-up (in the Orr), but on that run you wouldn’t.”

View the full article