BRC JUL 08 - SIR BRILLIANT ALWAYS IN CONTROL

By Matthew Grimson | Thursday, July 9, 2009

Eagle Farm, July 8, 2009.
Maiden Handicap - 1300m. Time: 1-20.53.
Track - Dead 5. Rail - out 5m.
1 Sir Brilliant; 2 Kiss Kiss; 3 Sassafras Boy.

Sir Brilliant provided trainer Jan Aitkenhead with her first Eagle Farm winner.
The three-year-old gelding was never worse than second as he held the inside line just a neck off Kiss Kiss, who has crossed to lead from her outside barrier draw.
Turning for home, Scriven moved Sir Brilliant up to eye-ball Kiss Kiss and these two runners matched strides momentarily, but it was soon apparent that Sir Brilliant had far too much in hand over his rival and he duly edged away to score an untroubled win.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Jan Aitkenhead: “It’s his second run back. We don’t really have any plans for him at the moment, just taking it start by start at the moment. The biggest thing was getting him to settle and he’s just starting to learn to do that a little bit. Nice horse but immature still. He’s still learning.

“We stepped him up in distance. He’s out of a Semipalatinsk mare so that’s why he’s so tough. His last run was on a heavy track and he got through it - just. Today was better and he’d be even better when it is dryer.

“The owners ... Lakeview Stud ... they are a new stud starting out at Canungra. I’ve got about six or seven horses in work for them all the time here at Eagle Farm. This is the first horse I’ve raced for them. This is my first winner at Eagle Farm."

Jockey Shane Scriven: “They were going so slow. As long as you don’t fight him and just ask him to come back until he doesn’t want to go any slower... but if you start with him, he’ll fight you back.

“You’ve only got to look at his form. He ran fifth, third, first, so he’s that sort of improving horse. You’d have to sort of question the opposition today, but as I said, he’s an improving type. But he has to keep improving as they get up obviously. But he’s got that sort of scope to do that.

“As immature as he looks, he is mentally as well. He’s got a lot of little negatives for a horse that can gallop and that can go on. He did that breathing thing right on the line. He let it all out again, but again I reckon that’s nerves.

“He runs a trip. He gives me the feeling that he’ll run a mile. He’s got future. We’ve just got to keep going the way we’re going with him and not take a backward step.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Sir Brilliant): 2.70 out to 3.20.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
I’montop (M. Hellyer) began awkwardly, resulting in M. Hellyer losing balance. A short distance later, I’montop again shifted ground, making contact with Winged Princess (Matthew Palmer) on two occasions. Leaving the 400m, Bootooloo (S. Katsidis) shifted out to improve and in doing so made contact with Lauxes. Winged Princess (Matthew Palmer) raced greenly in the straight. Tom’s Wish (D. Barron), Soho Madame (M. Radecker) and Lauxes (M. Cahill) raced wide for the majority of the event. Tom’s Wish shifted its near-hind plate in running.

A post race veterinary examination of Winged Express revealed the filly to be lame in the near-foreleg. Trainer S. Hunter was advised that he must provide a veterinary clearance for that filly prior to its next race start.