BROWNIE'S BLOG: RUNNERS FROM THE LAND OF THE RISING SUN COULD LAND A HUGE FEATURE RACE TREBLE

By Damian Browne | Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Brownie’s Blog is the weekly blog of multiple Group 1 winning jockey Damian Browne. This week Brownie turns his attention to the Japanese runners and their high-profile presence in Australia’s biggest races and the possibility of a unique treble that could be theirs for the taking. Damian Lane earns Brownie’s praise for the way he has progressed as a rider and the way he has put himself in the pound seats with the Japanese for the Carnival. Brownie also chimes in with a very direct, no-nonsense opinion on what should be done about the delays that seem to plague stewards' inquiries in Queensland. This is Brownie’s Blog – exclusive to HRO

The way that Mer De Glace ran right past Finch to win the Caulfield Cup last Saturday underlined the strength of Japanese runners in top-level staying races.

You might recall that back in 2006, the year after Makybe Diva completed her three-peat in the Melbourne Cup, the Japanese runners Delta Blues and Pop Rock ran the quinella in the Melbourne Cup and since then virtually every one they have brought has run well.

They already have the Caulfield Cup packed away this year courtesy of Mer De Glace’s outstanding effort … now watch out!

Another Japanese runner, Lys Gracieux, is favourite for the Cox Plate and I heard Damian Lane say that if Lys Gracieux, who he is riding in the Cox Plate, and Mer De Glace, who he rode in the Caulfield Cup, were to run in the same race Lys Gracieux would be $2 and the one who won the Caulfield Cup would be a $15 chance.

So, either the one in the Cox Plate (Lys Gracieux) is really good, or, they are just so much better than us.

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Lys Gracieux is favourite for the Cox Plate and Mer De Glace is second favourite for the Melbourne Cup so you can will appreciate what a good position Damian Lane is in terms of his big race rides and just how well everything has come together for him.

Make no mistake, he has earned the right to be there.

It was an amazing three-month stint that Damian had riding in Japan mid-year. It was probably the best spell that any jockey from over here has had in Japan. There have been quite a few successful ones … Hugh Bowman won the Japan Cup for example … but Damian was quite outstanding throughout his time in Japan and built a lot of important contacts on the back of his success.

I think Tommy Berry was trying to do a similar thing a couple of years ago. That’s how he got on Kluger who he rode twice in last year’s Championship, including the second placed finish to Winx in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

Berry got that ride through his time spent in Japan and he has kept the ride in the Cox Plate. Brenton Avdulla has been there as well.

As it becoming more evident that the Japanese are coming here and winning these big races our jocks have woken up to the fact that if they can get to Japan, and impress, they might get in first in terms of being offered the plum Japanese rides.

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Not that Japan is an easy place to get into to ride.

Even Joao Moreira, though he rides there at times, failed to get his full license. Just the fact that Moreira wanted to leave Hong Kong to go and ride in Japan tells you just how big racing is in Japan.

Jockeys there are treated like superstars and they are obviously paid accordingly. They are riding some of the best horseflesh in the world so that really is an experience in itself and if our jockeys can enjoy other opportunities because of the contacts they make there … as Damian is seizing now … so much the better.

It certainly has been a whirlwind twelve months for Damian. As I said, these rewards aren’t just handed out to you. They have to be earned.

He has obviously been progressing throughout the years and the last couple of years he has been riding Group 1 winners everywhere for a lot of different trainers … all of them top trainers … and he clearly now is a rider of real quality.

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Corey Brown has come out feeling aggrieved at the way the inquiry into his fall in the Queensland Derby has played out and few can disagree with his sentiments.

The outcome was settled on Monday a full four months after the incident took place.

The thing that has really gone on for too long though, above all else, is that nothing is being done to rectify the fact that these delays are unacceptable. It doesn’t take Einstein to work out that the system is not right and that it should be fixed straight away.

It is not something that has got to be mulled over. It is wrong at the moment. Change it.

You would think it would be as easy as that, but apparently it is not.

Riders get suspensions after long delays with their inquiries and then they appeal the outcome and … yes, you’ve guessed it … we’ve got more delays.

You can’t blame the jockeys for using the system that is in place to their advantage … anybody would … but these delays don’t happen to this frustrating degree anywhere else in Australia and I don’t see why it should be allowed to happen here in Queensland any longer!

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