3 minute read

The Cliff Brown yard is clearly the team to follow in this early part of the new season after they brought up their second consecutive double on Monday.

After D'Buffalo Man and My Lucky Strike scored at the inaugural meeting on New Year’s Day, two more winners, Kratos and Elite Beast doubled the score the next day.

With Brown away on holidays, assistant-trainer Tim Fitzsimmons (pictured above) was the one who did the honours of leading in the quartet of winners.

“We couldn’t have hoped for a better start,” said the Australian.

“Two winners yesterday and another two today. Hopefully, there’ll be more later on.”

Fitzsimmons said both of Monday’s winners had been knocking on the door, and their short odds of $11 certainly echoed that sentiment they were close to opening their accounts.

Of the winning pair, Kratos (Alan Munro) enjoyed the easier run, jumping from barrier No 1 and holding his position throughout despite the close attention of two horses (Perfect Commando and My Horse) before kicking clear to win as he pleased in the $75,000 Restricted Maiden race over 1000m. The winning time was 59.72 seconds.

Despite jumping from a wide alley, Elite Beast (Michael Rodd) initially looked all set for a cruisy run after settling right behind the leading bunch in the $60,000 Class 4 race over 1600m, and seemingly had only Pentagon (Sam Subian) to beat when he was angled out for his run upon straightening.

But Pentagon, who had to whip around runners for an early move, proved harder to shake off. Elite Beast did gain the upperhand which, however, seemed to ebb the other way as Pentagon found a second wind.

Rodd, who was aboard Brown’s two Sunday winners, was in no mood to let that one go away as he gave Elite Beast a last push across the line to outgun his bold challenger by half-a-length. The winning time was 1min 35.2secs for the 1600m on the Short Course.

“Kratos ran enormous the other day, but OIympian Eager was too good for him,” said Fitzsimmons.

“I was a bit worried they took him on early, but class prevailed and he put it all together today.

“We will find another similar race for him. He will get up to 1200m one day but I won’t be scared to leave him at 1000m for now.”

Munro, who was jumping on the Guillotine three-year-old for the first time, agreed that the Olympian Stable-owned gelding was no auto-pilot conveyance.

“He’s not an easy ride. He hangs out a lot,” said the British rider who is also having a great start being already at his third winner (he won on Soon Yi and Jupiter Gold on Sunday) for the year.

“The good draw worked really well for him. He’s done it nicely.”

Fitzsimmons said Elite Beast, who was known as Major Approval in Australia, has lived up to his good form back home.

“He came with good form in Australia and has just trained on here,” he said.

“There is still a heap of improvement to come out of him. He will get better over further.”

Rodd concurred with Fitzsimmons that the Elite Performance Stable-owned gelding looks more like a stayer in the making.

“He began well and there was plenty of pressure upfront,” said Rodd.

“But he was quite relaxed, he chilled out quite well. He grinded it out in the end, but I didn’t think he would win by a margin, anyway.”

“He is looking for more distance.”