BROWNIE'S BLOG: IT WAS MR BRIGHTSIDE'S RACE TO WIN AND HE DID. NO SURPRISES HERE

By Damian Browne | Tuesday, September 16, 2025

Multiple Group 1 winning jockey Damian Browne might be retired from race riding, but his passion for racing still remains and he now gives back to the industry, offering invaluable mentorship to young apprentices wise enough to take on board his advice. Beyond that, Browne is as insightful as ever when offering his opinion on racing matters, with his knowledge gained from so many years in the saddle leaving him ideally placed to give an informed commentary on many aspects of the game. This is the first edition of Brownie’s Blog for the season, a blog which is exclusive to HRO.

“Some eyebrows were raised, some questions were asked and some criticisms levelled after the running the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes which Mr Brightside won with Craig Williims dictating a pedestrian pace from the front to his own advantage from start to finish.

“Of course, everyone is entitled to their opinion. My opinion is that the race was run pretty much how I thought it would be. I thought Craig (Williams) would dictate things, as he did. Craig is a very clever rider, and he had the horse to be able to really use his tactical abilities.

“So, for me, it is hats off to Craig.

“Because of the way I thought then race would be run, I did think Via Sistina (the $1.85 race favourite) was going to be vulnerable.

“I don’t think there is anything different that James (McDonald) could have done … or, for that matter, Blake Shinn, who some might have thought would have made an earlier move on Antino because he has done that sort of thing before. He can’t do it every time, otherwise it becomes too obvious.

“When questioned by the stewards as to why they didn’t make more use of their mounts in the early and mid-stages of the race, James told stewards that, ‘he has never asked the mare to hold a position in her races rather, just have Via Sistina travel where comfortable … that Via Sistina never travelled well in a slowly run race … was inclined to lay out, so, he did not make use of her to hold a more prominent position.

“Blake’s response, for his part, was, ‘although he was aware the race tempo was slow, he did not feel his mount would have been advantaged by attempting to improve into the race in the middle stages’ … where it would have had to make a ‘long run covering additional ground.’

“James and Blake were the only two people to have the feel of their horses at that crucial time. If they felt it wasn’t the right move to push forward, they had every right to back their judgement.

“Both of these top tier riders recognised that it is not just about what is going on around you. You have still to ride your horse in its comfort zone. If you go too early, it could be to the detriment of your horse, not only in the race itself, but detrimental to its whole preparation. You can flatten them.

“Remember, both Via Sistina and Antino are both en-route to the Cox Plate.

“With the dust now settled, you have to give credit to Mr Brightside.

“Hasn’t he been a champion!

“Maybe the race was set up for him in the Makybe Diva, but he still had to do it … and he has done it time after time. That’s what makes him such a good horse.
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“For a reason away from the slow pace, the Makybe Diva was a race Damian Lane would like to have over again.

“Damian picked up a fifteen-meeting suspension and a $3 000 fine for breaching the whip rule on the Makybe Diva runner-up Aeliana, after using his whip on ten occasions prior to the 100, five more times than permitted.

“At first glance that penalty might sound harsh, but I can understand that.

“The jockeys normally are told leading into a carnival and the big races that are obviously for big money … don’t take matters into your own hands or the consequences are going to be sterner.

“So, the warning is always there … and now, sadly for Damian, his suspension has seen the stewards draw a clear line in the sand moving forward that, hopefully, will have got the attention of all jockeys.
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“Just on decisions made on certain rides by the stewards … in recent times stewards have looked into particular rides of Ben Melham and Adam Hyeronimus.

“In both instances there were initial concerns about handing a position to a rival runner. Melham’s horse in the race in question shifted ground which allowed another horse, ridden by his wife Jamie, room to come through and take out the race, while, in Hyeronimus’ case, his horse lost its position to its more fancied stable companion, who went on to finish second.

“The stewards' inquiry into both of these rides ultimately cleared both riders of any wrong-doing but, when handing down that decision to Hyeronimus, the stewards also stated (as reported by Racenet), that, ‘You need to be mindful in races, particularly in cases when you have got stablemates racing around you and any decision that you make obviously has that potential to be perceived that you are riding in a manner to benefit or advantage another horse. It doesn't have to only be right, it also has to look right.’

“Hyeronimus’ reply?

"I'm out there riding the horse, not on how it's going to look on TV or the lateral view or a head on.”

“I’m with him.

“Obviously, a lot of time you don’t know who the people are behind you anyway, unless you are one of the few jockeys that can look between your legs.

“When a horse rolls out, there are various reasons why it can shift ground … they can tire, they can change their legs etc. As a jockey you are always trying to keep them straight, but that is not always possible … all this while you are making decisions about when to make your run, what gap to line up, and things like that.

“There a lot going on in a jockey’s head out there … more than most people know … so, in general (there might be exceptions), worrying about where your stable companion is or how things might look to those watching on television is certainly, and quite understandably, not really anywhere near the main priority of what you, as a jockey, are out there to do.”
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“Looking ahead briefly, Ka Ying Rising is now officially the top-rated racehorse in the world with a Time-form rating of 135, so it goes with saying that his presence will obviously adds a rich international flavour to The Everest race-day next month.

“For mine, he looks to have the race at his mercy.

“I guess the only thing that I’d be worrying about is the travelling. If he travels well and is a hundred percent on the day, he looks to be a class above anything we’ve seen so far.

“It’s almost like getting back to the Black Caviar days.

“Plenty of slots still have to be filled though with a month still to go to the big day though.

“Never mind a month, like they always say, a week is a long time in racing, so it will be interesting to see what unfolds next.
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