BROWNIE'S BLOG - THOUGHTS ON SRIKANDI, RUNNER-UP FINISHES AND LOOKING FORWARD TO A BIG 'HOME GAME'
By Damian Browne | Wednesday, May 13, 2015
Damian Browne is rated right up there with the best jockeys in Australia. After severe injury setbacks which would have ended a lesser man’s career, this eleven-time Group 1 winning jockey has fought back against the odds to establish a solid reputation both as a person ... through the calm, confident and professional manner in which he goes about his business ... and as a rider, where he has built an enviable race record largely courtesy of his exceptional expertise as a horseman. Damian’s column, ‘Brownies Blog’, will appear weekly on Wednesdays ... exclusive to HRO!
Last Saturday’s UBET Cup Carnivale Day ... the opening leg of the Brisbane Racing Carnival ... provided plenty of food for thought for those trying to piece together the feature race puzzle for the coming weeks.
Srikandi’s 'below-par' run in the BTC Cup, in particular, was a talking point and I can only give a view on that from my perspective.
Srikandi just jumped straight up in the air like a kangaroo when she came out of the gates. Obviously that is never ideal, particularly in a Group 1 sprint.
So she was behind the eight ball right from the start but I did manage to get a pretty good run through them and I got on the back of the winner (Hot Snitzel) turning for home. I was travelling well so I still thought I was a big chance.
When Srikandi didn’t sprint in the straight when the opening came I thought, at the time, that there may have been something not quite right with her ... but after going back and looking at it, she probably did a little bit more during the race to get into position that she was in turning for home so, whether that extra effort just took it out of her ... we probably won’t find out one hundred percent until she runs next Saturday in the 10 000.
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I had to settle for second best twice on Saturday ... the two runner-up finishes being my best results on the day.
I was on Dublin Lass who was beaten by her Peter and Paul Snowden trained stable companion I’ve Got The Looks in the Juanmo Stakes.
To answer a question, no I didn’t have the choice of rides in this race. Blake (Shinn) has always had a lot to do with I’ve Got The Looks because Guy Walter trained it originally ... and so obviously he was always going to be on her.
I was certainly happy to pick up the ride on Dublin Lass. She has got a very good record. That’s five wins and four second places in thirteen starts now ... but, for all that, she has probably flown under the radar a little bit.
She was fairly good odds ($13) when she won in Sydney the start before. She is obviously a very honest mare who tries hard and she has been well placed by Peter and Paul.
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Wicked Intent was my other second placing (in the Champagne Classic).
Chris Munce enjoyed it. I’ve never seen anybody so excited and happy to run second.
It is really good to see Chris embracing training like this. As I say, you can see the excitement in him ... the enthusiasm and it is just great to see.
Obviously we drew a pretty awkward barrier. We thought there would be very good speed and we might be able to tuck in behind a couple of leaders but, after we’d gone about 150m it was apparent I was going to be caught three or four wide.
So I had to use a bit more petrol than I wanted to get across and get closer to the fence.
He sprinted really well on the corner and it was probably just the last 40m or 50m that he started to feel it.
probably because of the work he had to do early ... so Chris has done a great job with him.
My next ride for Chris will be Wicked Intent again in the Sires on Saturday week.
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Another very satisfying result, although unplaced, was that of Hopfgarten in the Group 1 Doomben Cup.
It was his first step up to Group 1 and Weight-For-Age. I thought his run was tremendous. It was probably nearly a career best run for him up in that sort of company.
We were always aware that he was probably a length or two below the better Group 1 horses, but he at least showed that he was entitled to be there so things are looking up for him moving forward.
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I’m looking forward to a big ‘home game’ on Saturday at the Sunshine Coast.
I’m involved in all three of the main feature races and they all look to be pretty good rides.
I’m on Index Linked for Chris Waller in the Cup. He ran second in the Chairman’s (behind Epingle) at the Gold Coast. This looks the right sort of trace for him ... and obviously one of Chris Wallers is always hard to beat.
I’m on Dances On Stars for Gerald Ryan in the Glasshouse. His third to Srikandi in the Victory Stakes shows good form leading up into a race like this.
I’ve got Merion in the Guineas.
Mike Moroney has had him racing in Sydney over the carnival in good races and he’s been performing very well. It looks to be a good race with Merion having a good chance.
I really enjoy this Sunshine Coast feature meeting. I’ve been fortunate the last three years I’ve won one of the big ones each year.
Hopfgarten won the Guineas last year. The year before that I won the Caloundra Cup on Zennista and the year before that I won the Glasshouse on Woorim.
Hopefully I can continue that run and win one, or maybe a couple of them, this year. That would be great.
Till next week,
Damian
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