Joao Moreira and Brazen Beau claim the 142nd running of the Newmarket (Pic- Getty Images: Vince Caliguiri)
The three-year-old Brazen Beau has destroyed a field of the world’s best sprinters to win the $1 million Newmarket Handicap in Melbourne.
The elite trio of Lankan Rupee, Terravista and Chautauqua were no match for Chris Waller’s exciting colt who was favoured by a weight swing under handicap conditions.
Aided by a cool ride by the great Joao Moreira, Brazen Beau ($5.50) dashed clear inside the final 300 metres and the race was over.
He had 2-3/4 lengths to spare on the line from Chautauqua ($3.20) and Terravista ($5.50), who was aiming to break a hoodoo for runners contesting the Newmarket first-up from a spell.
“He just ran away from them … it’s a pleasure to be on top of him,” Moreira said.
Joao Moreira – enjoyed his ride
“He just jumps, travels nice and then kicks strongly at the finish.
“From a long way out I knew I was going to win because he was travelling so strongly.”
Waller tried to contain his emotions when asked how confident he felt going into the race against such high-profile rivals.
“I chose not to think about it before the race,” he said.
“You don’t see that every day … he’s beaten some really good horses there and he’s beaten them easily.”
It was Brazen Beau’s second Group One down the Flemington straight after winning the Coolmore Stakes last November.
The $70,000 yearling purchase, now worth millions as a future stallion, is on track to race at Royal Ascot in June.
“That’s on the bucket list for sure,” Waller said.
In the run Chautauqua was bottled in behind Terravista and Lankan Rupee and was losing momentum as Brazen Beau was sprinting clear.
“He ran terrific, but it was a case of three big king pins just got caught together without worrying where the winner was,” said Dwayne Dunn, rider of the runner-up.
“He was just in the wrong part, just getting held up in amongst them he couldn’t get into a nice rhythm and sprint hard.”
Lankan Rupee, looking for a second straight Newmarket, had his main rivals to his inside but was easily pushed out of the way by Terravista before weakening into sixth, beaten 4-1/4 lengths.
Vets reported that Terravista pulled up after the race showing signs of heat stress, while they could find no abnormality with the dynamic Lightning Stakes winner Lankan Rupee.
“I’ve got no idea. I was a beaten horse at about the halfway mark,” said jockey Craig Newitt.
“He travelled nice enough but when I went to pick him up he just wasn’t there.”
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