BROWNIE'S BLOG - CREDIT CHAUTAUQUA, BUT BUFFERING WILL BE BACK TO FIGHT ANOTHER DAY

By Damian Browne | Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Damian Browne is rated right up there with the best jockeys in Australia. After severe injury setbacks this multiple Group 1 winning jockey has fought back against the odds to establish a solid reputation both as a person 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’ appears exclusively on HRO

Whichever way you look at the running of last Friday night’s Manikato Stakes you have got to give enormous credit to the winner Chautauqua.

He obviously looks to be the benchmark sprinter at the moment. He is certainly the best sprinter in Australia ... and possibly the world ... and was clearly full value for his win.

That said, I wasn’t disappointed with Buffering’s effort. Circumstances really didn’t go his way and I think he still ran well.

While I wasn’t disappointed with Buffering I was disappointed by the way the race unfolded.

It is true that nobody has to run their own race according to Buffering’s preference but as a rider, you are obliged to give your horse every chance of obtaining its best finishing position. Rich Enuff took me on early and mid-race and finished last!

I know Rich Enuff’s trainer was very disappointed, to put it mildly, with the ride on that particular horse. He actually apologised to Rob Heathcote. He said that wasn’t his intention for things to go that way.

The trainer apologised to Rob and the jockey apologised to me ... a few times.

Obviously there were a couple of heated words straight afterward the race. The first apology to me was forthcoming immediately ... but fair to say I wasn’t really in the mood for accepting an apology immediately.

Then, half an hour later you realise you can say all you want but basically you’ve got to move on. You can’t change things. You’ve just got to move on.

With regard to Buffering’s own performance compared to his win in his previous outing in the Moir, there were definite points of difference, not least the quality of the opposition he faced on Friday night.

In his first-up run I went for home before the corner because I knew he'd had a measured run until then. Last Friday, because I wasn’t able to get that breather mid-race, I had to wait until halfway around the corner to give the green light because I knew I had done so much work already.

That gave the other horses the opportunity to get closer to me coming around the corner and therefore they were able to apply more pressure.

So, instead of being two-and-a-half or three lengths ahead on straightening, I was only a length to the good ... and then, obviously, the last 100m we were running on empty which you would expect in those circumstances.

Obviously you can’t always have things your own way and I have certainly no argument against the winner but, as I said, I was disappointed with one aspect of the race.

The good news is that Buffering has pulled up well and he will still be pressing on to the Darley Sprint.

That could end up being a small field. A lot of horses could get scared away by Chautauqua... and obviously Terravista will still be there.

Rob (Heathcote) has never been afraid to allow Buffering to tackle the best though so, all being well, Buffering will be there ... as he really deserves to be.

And I think he will run well.

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