Improving from his fourth in this race last year, the Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young trained Brayden Star (GB) has secured himself a start in next Saturday’s $5m Group 1 MRC Caulfield Cup (2400m) with victory in Saturday’s $400,000 Group 2 MRC Herbert Power Stakes (2400m) at Caulfield.
Having not won since success in the 2023 Benalla Gold Cup (2100m), the Craig Williams ridden gelding went forward from barrier seven before letting noted front runner Smokin’ Romans (NZ), himself the winner of the 2022 Group 1 Turnbull Stakes, go forward to lead.
With the field maintaining their positions for most of the race, favourite runners Plymouth (The Autumn Sun) and Whiskey On The Hill (GB) (Ribchester) settled in third and fourth positions ready to challenge.
As Anthony and Sam Freedman’s Post Impressionist (IRE) (Teofilo) was set alight by jockey Ethan Brown at the 800m, the gelding came around the field but was unable to pass the leading pair.
Jamie Melham on Plymouth saw it as an opportunity to make her challenge, while Damian Lane aboard Whisky On The Hill was stuck behind the leaders unable to get clearly running.
Plymouth was hanging out slightly as Wiliams kept Brayden Star going along the inside, and while Melham managed to get Plymouth in front, Brayden Star fought back late to take the win, and in the process secured his place in the Caulfield Cup,
With luck no where to be seen when needed, Whisky On The Hill got out late, charging to the line to finishing in third, with Smokin’ Romans hanging on for fourth – the first four in the run finished as the first four across the line, albeit in a slightly different order.
Taking his overall record to six wins and eight placed performances from 24 starts with earnings of $854,192, it was surprisingly the first black type victory for the 7yo gelding who had his first Australian start in November 2022 when winning over 1500m at Cranbourne.
Co-trainer Trent Busuttin spoke post-race and was extremely happy with the winning performance of Brayden Star.
“He had the better part of probably six months off after the spring last year,” said Busuttin.
“He's a seven-year-old, he's taken a while to get to things. I thought he went great last start. He sort of got taken on from the 1200 and just knocked up. I thought this could be his race today. He's a genuine horse. He's been thereabouts and it looked a nice race for, he was good to kick back, the other horse had him cold, but he was strong.”
Scratched from last year’s Melbourne Cup with failing the vet, Busuttin is confident of Brayden Star’s soundness.
“He's the soundest horse you'll ever see,” said Busuttin. “He's never had a shot of cortisone, obviously, the Melbourne Cup is different standards, the scans are what they are.”
“But we were flat as anything when he was scratched out of the Cup because we knew there was nothing wrong with the horse. And as you can see, there's nothing wrong with him now, so it's just straightforward.”
Quizzed on how the gelding will go with the week back up in the Caulfield Cup, Busuttin doesn’t feel it will pose an issue.
“I'd say he will be,” said Busuttin. “It's a big step up.”
“It's a $5 million dollar race or whatever it is. And he's still keen enough in the first half of the race, we pulled the blinkers off him because of that. So it's a seven-day back-up, it'll knock the edge off him and he'll run all right."
Racing in the Herbert Power for the third time, co-trainer Natalie Young was happy with ‘third time lucky’.
“It sure is, and it's finally gone our way,” enthused Young.
“He just jumped brilliantly, and going down the straight here, I said, oh, don't lead, don't lead, Willo, don't lead! And Smokin' Romans managed to get up, following him forward.
“He just had a beautiful run in transit, and I love the way he really stuck his head out that last 150 metres and really fought. We took the blinkers off; he just over-raced a touch his last few runs, and it's just great. It's great for the team, we needed this win."
Asked if he will back up in the Caulfield Cup, Young felt a discussion with owners Seymour Bloodstock will need to be had.
“Obviously he'd have to come through the race really well, it's all about the horse,” said Young.
“So if he comes through it well, possibly, we'll have a talk to Seymour Bloodstock. He'd have to come through it well, there are options.
“You've got the Geelong Cup, you've got the Moonee Valley Cup, or you could just go straight into maybe a Melbourne Cup.
“I don't know, we tried to get there last year and it didn't quite go our way. But it's just great that this horse has bounced back after the year that we've had. The owners have just been so patient with it, all the protocols that we had to go through with him and it's just fantastic that he's bounced back and won today."
Winning jockey Craig Williams was pleased with the gelding’s toughness.
“I rode him in this race last year, and when my manager said that we had to ride, he said, and the horse is going better than last year, and you ran well in this race last year,” said Williams.
“So, thanks to my manager, thanks to this horse's determination, performance, and of course his trainers in Natalie and Trent. They've done it, and all their team has done a really good job with him. He's pulled up, and he's ready to go again.”
Set to drop to 51kgs in next Saturday’s $5m Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m), Brayden Star is the second stakes winner, joining the Group 3 Bendigo Cup winner Wentwood (Pour Moi) out of the unplaced Dansili mare Desert Liaison from the family of dual NZ Group 1 winner Recite (Darci Brahma).
Sold via Tattersalls on three separate occasions in 2019, 2020 and 2021, Brayden Star was most recently purchased by Chris K Racing at the 2021 Craven Breeze Up Sale when secured for 80,000 GNS.
Brayden Star is the best of 11 stakes winners for Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes winner Twilight Son (Kyllachy) who stands at a fee of €5,000 at Annshoon Stud in the United Kingdom.
