To Bravery Born continues impeccable fresh record

[Wandering Eyes]

Trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson now have their sights set on the Gr.3 Cambridge Stud Almanzor Trophy (1400m) at Ellerslie for To Bravery Born (NZ) (Snitzel) on Karaka Millions night following his eye-catching first-up win at Te Rapa on Saturday.

The three-year-old gelding has a strong first-up record, having won on debut as an early two-year-old before repeating the result when fresh-up at Ellerslie in January. He then resumed as a three-year-old with victory over 1100m at Taupo in August before continuing his strong fresh sequence on Saturday.

Despite initially jumping away with the rest of the field, To Bravery Born was beaten for early speed and was several lengths of the pace in the first 100m. But under a cool ride from seasoned jockey Opie Bosson, To Bravery Born was able to quickly make up the deficit and enjoyed a quiet passage at the rear of the field.

Turning for home, he still had all before him, but Bosson was able to find a gap out wide and To Bravery Born stormed over the top of his rivals to win by half a length over To Cap It All, with a further 1-1/2 lengths back to Places To Be in third.

“Coming to the turn he started coming up underneath me,” Bosson said. “I knew he’s got a good sprint and he goes well fresh, and they went pretty quick up front, so I knew they’d be coming back to me halfway up the straight.

“He’s definitely got ability and he certainly goes better fresh, so it’s about keeping him on the fresh side, but I think he’s a good racehorse.”

Bosson returned to raceday riding this week following a mandatory standdown period after suffering a head injury last month, and he has been quick to recapture winning form, also partnering Te Akau’s Tagalomu to victory at Tauranga on Friday.

“The bang on the head took a lot out of me, and I was a bit down and out for a couple weeks, but the marbles are starting to stop rattling up there now,” he said.

Walker was pleased with the win but admitted to being perplexed by To Bravery Born’s tardy beginning.

“I don’t know what happened at the start, he was bit slow away,” Walker said. “He’s got a great record fresh and he’s probably got a bit better win in him yet.”

While To Bravery Born has won half of his eight starts to date and placed in the Gr.3 Matamata Slipper (1200m), a stakes scalp remains elusive, and it’s something his trainers are hoping to rectify at Ellerslie next month.

“Maybe we look at something like the Almanzor Trophy,” Walker said.

Meanwhile, Walker was less upbeat about stablemate La Dorada’s fourth placed effort in the same race, having her first start in New Zealand since her outstanding juvenile season where she won the Gr.1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m), Gr.2 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) and Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) on her way to being crowned Champion New Zealand Two-Year-Old.

She failed to flatter in her two runs in Australia during spring, finishing unplaced in both the Gr.1 Moir Stakes (1000m) and Gr.3 Scarborough Stakes (1200m), and she has her trainers scratching their heads following Saturday’s run.

“It was a pass mark, but still the jury is out, and she hasn’t quite recaptured that two-year-old form,” Walker said.

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