Brave Smash for the Everest..By Bernard Kenny

BRAVE SMASH, Damien Lane, wins the Chandler Macleod Stakes at Moonee Valley. Photo Bernard Kenny.

Brave Smash, the former Japanese sprinter now with trainer Darren Weir, has surfaced as the quiet achiever is his quest to conquer the world’s richest turf race the $10m The Everest to be run at Royal Randwick on Saturday 14 October.

Possibly considered some-what disappointing when second in the listed Testa Rossa Stakes of 1200m at Caulfield, trainer Darren Weir has decided that Brave Smash should be tried in blinkers for The Everest.

As the odds-on favourite Brave Smash had the Testa Rossa won, except on the finishing line, when beaten a head by Bons Away, Linda Meech, who made it four wins in succession.

Brave Smash was coming off a convincing half-length victory over stable mate El Divino in the listed Chandler Macleod Stakes 1200m, ridden again by Damien Lane.

Hall of Fame trainer Darren Weir decided to give the five-year-old Brave a three week freshened-up before heading to the Testa Rossa Stakes, and ultimately The Everest at Royal Randwick. This was only the third start for Brave Smash in Australia.

At his first start in Australia the five-year-old Brave Smash ran a half-length second to fellow The Everest contender Vega Magic in the listed Regal Roller Stakes of 1200m at Caulfield. This was first-up for Brave Smash following a six month break when imported from Japan.

As a four-year-old earlier this year in Japan Brave Smash only raced twice, for two fourth placing’s, the first over 1600m, reverting to the 1200m sprint of the Gr3 Ocean Stakes.

At two-years Brave Smash was considered a classic contender and raced on six occasions from 1500m to 2000m, winning at 1500m and 1600m including the listed SA Royal Cup at Tokyo Racecourse.

In 2016 as a three-year-old Brave Smash contested the Japanese classics without winning, being placed second in the Gr3 Falcon Stakes and third in the listed Capital Stakes.

Sired by Neo Universe’s stakes winning two-year-old son Tosen Phantom, Brave Smash is from the Tokai Teio winning mare Tosen Smash, a half-sister to the stakes winner Garyotensei and the good winner Tosen Oji.

If the 1200m weight-for-age The Everest in a new concept in Australian racing, what is the highly modern approach of the Australian Turf Club in building the international profile for its Carnivals and racing, and to attract more overseas competitors.

The ATC secured an agreement with the Australian Bloodstock for Brave Smash to be the Club’s $600,000 Slot Representative as his international profile, pedigree and his top five Everest horse rating makes him an ‘ideal ATC fit.’

Trainer Darren Weir is rated Australia’s most-winning trainer and the highly successful Australian Bloodstock have already had a Melbourne Cup winner in Protectionist.

Australian Bloodstock this year have the international ‘two miler’ Red Cardinal entered for the Melbourne Cup and Admire Deus, the duel Japanese Group 2 stayer, heading principally for the Caulfield Cup.

Earlier this year Big Duke won the Chairmans Handicap, Manion Cup and Launceston Cup, plus being placed in the Sydney Cup and The Metropolitan. Also Mongolian Wolf won the Frank Packer Plate, Delectation was a duel German Group 2 winner and last season Protectionist won the prestigious Groser Preis von Berlin.

 

 

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