Brave Smash Colt Wins G3 Manfred Stakes

Tara Madgwick - Friday January 26

A stakes-winner last season at two, Brave Smash (Jpn) colt Brave Mead was consistent in stakes races during the spring without winning one, but was rewarded for his consistency with a first up victory in the Group III MRC Manfred Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on Australia Day.

Brave Mead wins the G3 Manfred Stakes - image Grant Courtney

Trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, Brave Mead was give a positive ride by Blake Shinn from an inside gate and took up the lead, kicking clear off the turn and then holding off a late challenge from his stablemate King Colorado to win by a length.

Advertisement

A Group I winner at two, King Colorado was set some difficult tasks last spring, but the Kingman colt looks to have come back in great order with both colts sure to find further success as the remainder of their classic season unfolds.

“Once we established the lead and I was able to roll at my own tempo we had the favourite (Steparty) outside of us and with residual fitness that was our opportunity to beat him today and we used it to our advantage,” Shinn said.

Brave Mead runs in the Australian Bloodstock colours and has the tidy record of four wins and five placings form 10 starts with earnings topping $520,000 and the promise of more to come with sprint races to be his target during the autumn.

Brave Mead strikes a pose - image Grant Courtney

“Great ride from Blake Shinn and Brave Mead has been a super little horse for Australian Bloodstock,” said Ciaron Maher.

“I said to Blake, ‘take the luck out of it, he’s fit and well, so roll along’ and that was a winning move.

“King Colorado will head to the Australian Guineas at Flemington, which should be ideal for him and I think with this horse we’ll keep him to the sprints. He’s won at 1400, but I do think he’s better over the sharper trips.”

A $90,000 purchase for Ciaron Maher Racing when offered by Lustre Lodge at the 2021 Inglis July (Early) Online Sale, Brave Mead is a half-brother to Listed Geelong Classic winner Solemn, stakes-placed Honeywine and to the dam of Group III ATC Gloaming Stakes winner Raf Attack.

Bred by A B Breeding Venture, Brave Mead is the seventh winner from the nine to race for the Galileo mare Mead, a half-sister to Group I Australasian Oaks winner La Volta and dual Listed winner Terevega with the family also producing Group MRC Caulfield Guineas winner Mighty Boss.

Mead has a two year-old filly by Hellbent that was bought by Triple Crown for $130,000 at the Magic Millions National Yearling Sale last year and she was covered by Brave Smash again last spring.

Brave Smash (Jpn)

Brave Mead looks a bright prospect for further stakes success this season and can keep his Yarraman Park based sire Brave Smash in the spotlight. Brave Smash has five yearlings for Inglis Classic.

Advertisment

Race Result - Tile Importer Manfred Stakes Gr3 1200m

Caulfield Track: Good(4) Time: 1:09.59
1
Brave Mead
- 3c Brave Smash (JPN) x Mead (AUS) (Galileo (IRE))
Tnr: C Maher & D Eustace Rdr: B Shinn 58
Brave Smash
2
1
King Colorado
- 3c Kingman (GB) x More Aspen (USA) (More Than Ready (USA))
Tnr: C Maher & D Eustace Rdr: M Zahra 59.5
3
2
Steparty
- 3c Artie Schiller (USA) x Watch Your Step (AUS) (Sepoy (AUS))
Tnr: P A Preusker Rdr: John Allen 58.5
4
2.8
Amigo
- 3g Snitzel (AUS) x You're So Good (NZ) (Savabeel (AUS))
Tnr: P G Moody & Katherine Coleman Rdr: W Egan 57
5
3.2
Scentify
- 3c Justify (USA) x Fine Scent (AUS) (All Too Hard (AUS))
Tnr: C Maher & D Eustace Rdr: Ben Allen 57
6
4.2
Carbonados
- 3g Belardo (IRE) x Humoresque (NZ) (Iffraaj (GB))
Tnr: Ben, Will & Jd Hayes Rdr: L Currie 58
More Reading...
G1 Plan for Brave Mead
A stakes-winner last season at two, Brave Smash (Jpn) colt Brave Mead has kept up the good work this year and added another stakes victory to his tally at Rosehill on Saturday when taking out the $200,000 Listed ATC Darby Munro Stakes (1200m).
New Cup Goal for Wolfgang
It may not be the Cup target they were aiming for, but Wolfgang put himself firmly into Gr.3 Martin Collins New Zealand Cup (3200m) calculations following his victory in the SkyCity Hamilton Waikato Cup Prelude (2400m) at Te Rapa on Monday.
From FNQ To Sha Tin - Aussie Bred Sprinter Wins G2 Premier Bowl
Some horses arrive in Hong Kong with a very different back story - Fresh from winning the $20million The Everest with Ka Ying Rising, David Hayes was back in the winner’s list at Sha Tin on Sunday when Tomodachi Kokoroe won the Group II Premier Bowl (1200m).
Rewarding Weekend for Waikato Stud
A double strike at stakes level, a filly with a black-type future and a welcome family success handed Waikato Stud another rewarding weekend.
Brave Mead First Stakes Winner for Brave Smash
It’s been a good week for the exciting young stallion Brave Smash (JPN). Kimochi won at Randwick on Wednesday, and Brave Mead credited the Aquis stallion with his first stakes-winner in the Listed Brix Property Group Valley Pearl (1200m) at Moonee Valley on Friday night.
Brave Mead Back to Best
A stakes-winner last season at two, Brave Smash (Jpn) colt Brave Mead would have been a certainty beaten if he had gotten rolled at Caulfield on Saturday, but he managed to get clear running at just the right time and hit the line hard for Mark Zahra to snatch a well-deserved win.
One to Watch – Sha Tin – You Don’t See That Every Day!
The Mark Newnham stable has been on fire in Hong Kong since the start of the new season and the former Sydney trainer produced a super promising winner at Sha Tin on Sunday by Capitalist that did everything wrong and miraculously still won the race!
Sires With Winners - Sunday October 26
Here is the full list of 74 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Melbourne Cup Dream Alive for Kiwi Stayers
Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) dreams are still alive for connections of Kiwi stayers Mark Twain and Trav.
Sale Cup Winner Adds to Fastnet Rock Super Weekend
It’s been quite the weekend for the late great champion sire Fastnet Rock with a Cox Plate quinella on Saturday and then on Sunday he produced a new stakes-winner when seven year-old gelding El Rocko captured the $200,000 Listed Sale Cup (1600m).