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Melbourne jockey Brad Rawiller has produced a daring front running ride to win the Group Three Grand Prix Stakes on Brambles at Doomben.
A daring front-running ride aboard Brambles from Melbourne jockey Brad Rawiller gave trainer Peter Moody successive wins in the Group Three Grand Prix Stakes at Doomben.
Brambles ($4.80) led from barrier to score a runaway 3-3/4 length win over stablemate Vatuvei ($7) in Saturday's 2000m feature.
New Zealander Red Shift ($12) battled on to finish a further 3-1/2 lengths away third.
All three Grand Prix placegetters are now set for a return clash in the Group One Queensland Derby (2400m) at Eagle Farm on June 9.
Moody, who was ill and couldn't make the trip to Brisbane, won last year's Grand Prix with Turnitup and is chasing his second Queensland Derby victory following Riva San's win in 2008.
Rawiller has never won a Group One race in Queensland and Brambles clearly is his best hope yet.
"I spoke with Peter Moody this morning and he told me this horse was fit and had improved since his last run," Rawiller said.
"I had plenty of horse under me and I knew he would quicken.
"He doesn't give me any indication he won't run 2400 metres in the Derby but we don't want a wet track."
Brambles was coming off his last start win in the Group Three Rough Habit Plate (2000m) at Doomben on May 12.
Only one horse in the past decade, Ice Chariot (2006), has won the Grand Prix-Derby double.
Part-owner Terry Henderson admitted to having concerns when Rawiller put the accelerator down 800 metres from home on Brambles.
"I was a bit worried but I know Brad well and he's a tremendous judge of pace and track conditions," Henderson said.
"But I didn't think he would go so far out from home.
"It was a little surprise but we'll take it."
Henderson originally believed Brambles would struggle to be a Derby horse.
"We thought he'd only make a 2000-metre horse but Peter thought otherwise," Henderson said.
"Pete thought he was more of a stayer."
Trainer Roger James' gamble to cross the Tasman with Red Shift paid off when the three-year-old fought on bravely.
"We brought him here for the Queensland Derby and this was a real pressure race for him," James said.
"He not only had to secure a start but he had to show me he was up to being a Derby horse.
"He was under pressure 750 metres from home but he never shirked his task."
