When Shamus Award gets a good horse it tends to be seriously good with the Joe Pride trained gelding Brutality becoming his sixth individual million dollar earner when lugging 62kg to victory at Randwick on Saturday.
Brutality carries 62kg to victory - image Steve Hart
Pride has a happy knack for keeping his older geldings firing and while Brutality had not won since taking out the Group II ATC Villiers Stakes in 2021, the six year-old gelding had been consistently picking up prizemoney.
Sent out at 20-1, he finished with a late surge for Rory Hutchings to down stakes-winning three year-old filly Vienna Princess by a neck in the Benchmark 88 event over 1400m.
"He needed $20,000 to crack the $1 million so he's got a bit more than that today," Pride said.
"I know retirement is close, but it's just fantastic to see him get another win because he hasn't won since the Villiers.
"He's a horse we picked out and he was a cheapie, we've had a lot of fun with him.
"It will probably be the last time, but to get him over the line again was great.
“Part of me would like to see him retire today but I'll have a think about it. There's not much more he can do."
Brutality was a $40,000 Inglis Classic yearling purchase.
A $40,000 Inglis Classic purchase for his trainer from the Bhima Thoroughbreds draft at Inglis Classic, Brutality has the overall record of seven wins and 10 placings from 46 starts with prizemoney topping $1million.
Bred by Go Bloodstock, Brutality is the best of four winners from four foals to race from stakes-placed General Nediym mare Star Salute, who has a yearling filly by The Autumn Sun and after missing to him the next year appears to be back in foal to him again.
Brutality is one of 21 stakes-winners for Shamus Award, who had a metro double with Mimi’s Award saluting at Flemington.
The Cox Plate winning sire stands at Rosemont Stud this spring at a fee of $60,500.
