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The three year old, who was considered the pick of the possible 2010 July contenders, before his racing career was abruptly ended by a fracture, appeared back to his best as he took the Ocean Basket Green Point Stakes (1600m) in fine style.
Photo by Gold Circle
The Silvano colt, sporting blinkers for the first time, was content to settle in third on the rail, with the classy filly, Emerald Cove, keeping him company. Despite being drawn in barrier two, Tales of Bravery found himself midfield, running two wide.
As the field spread out at the 400m mark, Anton Marcus sent Bravura through the gap on the rail and by the 250 the colt was well clear.
Tales of Bravery came charging up the outside and for a moment it looked as if he would catch Bravura. But it was not to be as Bravura changed gears to comfortably win by half a length.
Tales of Bravery was not disgraced in second, with Lion in Winter a further 2.25L back in third. There was very little between the rest of the runners, indicating again the depth and class of the Green Point Stakes.
Trainer Joey Ramsden indicated that he is pleased with the colt's performance and that the next race for Bravura will be the Queen's Plate(1600m) followed by the J & B Met(2000m). He had a quiet dig at Marcus saying that he has been constantly nagging in his ear that the colt needs blinkers and eventually he could not take the torture anymore.
Marcus was quick to respond, saying that the blinkers made all the difference.
“The colt needs a fast pace to enable him to quicken well. In his last race I was forced to lead and I did not go quickly enough. This time the pace was on and it suited him perfectly” he added.
Bravura is owned by his breeder Veronica Foulkes and Ingrid and Marcus Jooste. The colt has now won seven of his 13 starts and is by Silvano out of the Centenary mare Musing.
In the preceding race, a Merit Rated 80 Handicap, racegoers were treated to a masterful display of brilliance, as Divine Jet toyed with the field before charging clear under a hands and heels ride by Karl Nesius, to remain unbeaten.
The colt by recently deceased champion stallion, Jet Master, is trained by the Master of the Classics, Dean Kannemmeyer. To date Kannemeyer has been careful to keep his star three year olds apart, but not for much longer.
He could end up with as many as four starters in the Grade 1 Cape Guineas on the 17th of December, where Divine Jet is likely to face his unbeaten stable companion, the brilliant Fastnet Rock colt, Liancourt Rock for the first time.