History made on quality Australian Guineas Day

Observer enters rare air with Derby/Guineas double

A fall in the Australian Guineas almost claimed the life of Ethan Brown but three years on the jockey was the toast of Flemington after guiding Observer to success in the Group 1 feature. 

Brown was aboard Maximillius when the pair crashed in the Flemington straight in the 2024 edition of the Australian Guineas which left the jockey with a lacerated liver and kidney issues. 

It was a long-haul back for Brown who after making an initial comeback decided on another break to get his body right. 

Brown is now one of Melbourne's most sought-after riders and is a key component of the Ciaron Maher stable, the trainer of Observer who took out the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday. 

Maher's National Assistant Trainer Jack Turnbull said Brown was one of his closest friends. 

"I see him sometimes more than my fiancée Tian during the week," Turnbull said. 

"He's a big part of our team. He's there two or three mornings a week, trials, gallops and he's one of the blokes you can ring up at any time and have a chat about the horses. 

"He's a special horse but he's got a special rider and it's special we got the job done today." 

Observer entered rare air on Saturday when he joined Mahogany as a winner of the Victoria Derby in the spring returning the following autumn to win the C S Hayes Stakes and Australian Guineas. 

Birdman flies to Blamey success

The Australian Cup looms as a target for Birdman after an impressive victory in a Stakes race at Flemington. 

The Group 2 Blamey Stakes (1600m) on Saturday was the Chris Waller-trained galloper's second outing following a spell and showed the former UK galloper is in for a good autumn. 

With Ben Melhamriding the $3.50 favourite, Birdman strode clear over the final 100m to score by 1-¾ lengths from Enxuto ($7) with Mark Twain ($101) a half-head away third. 

Birdman resumed in the Listed Elms Handicap (1400m) at Flemington on February 14 where from an inside draw the gelding was held up for a run. 

To avoid similar circumstances on Saturday, Melham was issued explicit instructions to give Birdman room. 

Darren Beadman, representing the Waller stable, said Melham followed instructions to the letter. 

"Last start it didn't work out from the inside draw, but today he held his line out of the gates," Beadman said. 

"He wasn't the best to step away, but he kept that three wide line and dictated to a few runners around him. 

"He let them know he wasn't going to go over to the fence. He was seven lengths off the lead, and it was a pretty easy watch." 

Straight experience pays off 

Experience down the straight has proved invaluable with Lindsay Park-trained fillies finishing one-two at Flemington. 

The Ben, Will and J D Hayes-trained Gin Twist and La Gitana ran the quinella in the Listed TAB We're On (1000m) on Saturday having contest an 800m jump-out on the Flemington straight on February 20. 

Ben Hayes said that experience had been invaluable as the third Lindsay Park member, the favourite Jacarand was not afforded the same opportunity as her stablemates and wound up in fifth spot. 

"Two-year-olds are very hard," Hayes said. 

"They either get it wrong, which we saw with Jacaranda, who dropped the bit early and didn't look comfortable, they don't know how to get into a rhythm, whereas the other two were professional, they jumped, got into a rhythm and gave good kicks. 

"It's a bit of a guessing game when you're running them and I say that to the owners, they either handle it or they won't.

Wide run suits Dirty Grin 

Trainer Nick Ryan knows Dirty Grin needs galloping room and gave a little fist pump when the barriers came out for the Rubaroc Handicap (1200m). 

Dirty Grin was afforded barrier 10 in the field of 11 in the straight 1200m contest and relished the galloping room as he wore down the favourite Rue De Royale. 

“I had a little fist pump on Wednesday morning when the barriers came out. He’s a horse that really likes room and getting to the outside,” Ryan said. 

“He likes being fresh. He had a week away after his last run as he struggles to run 1400 (metres) and I haven’t done much with him. 

“He had a very quiet jump out last week and less is certainly more.” 

Life’s easy with Watersports 

Trainer Archie Alexander wishes every horse was as uncomplicated as Watersports. 

The daughter of Ocean Park has graduated from provincial company to a mid-week victory and now is classified a Saturday city winner courtesy of her win in the Good Friday Appeal Plate (1400m) 

It was a dogged effort by Watersports to score after she was tackled strongly by the runner-up Maisy inside the final 200m but kept responding to jockey Damian Lane’s urgings. 

Now Alexander would like to add some ‘Black Type’ to the CV of Watersports and has picked out the Listed City Of Adelaide Stakes (1500m) at Morphettville in April as a potential suitable contest. 

“She is making our life very easy,” Alexander said. 

“She keeps presenting well and loves racing, but she doesn’t like it very wet and we’ll keep an eye on that. 

“We’re looking at the 1500 (metre) City Of Adelaide which is her sweet spot and then there’s mile options after that.” 

VOBIS Gold Dash a suitable back-up 

An untimely abscess on the eve of the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate cost Bridal Waltz a start in the Group 1 contest, but a week later the mare carried topweight to claim the VOBIS Gold Dash (1000m). 

The Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman-trained mare was a contender in the Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield last Saturday but was scratched on race morning. 

“She didn’t lose any work,” Moody said. 

“It was only on the eve of the Oakleigh Plate, and it popped straightaway. 

“We thought she might have got there but she was slightly tender on race morning and with those big ones you’ve got to be 110%. 

“It was a good back-up here and it is a great advertisement for the VOBIS scheme and a pleasure to get some VOBIS dollars.” 

First prize money was $96,250 with an added $20,000 VOBIS bonus which pushed Bridal Waltz’s prize money beyond the $650,000 mark. 

Got a Good Feeling in Inglis Sprint win 

Getta Good Feeling entered the $1 million Inglis Sprint (1200m) as one of the outsiders, but the Danny O’Brien-trained filly’s class shone through. 

Having her first start since weakening over the final stages in the Group 1 VRC Oaks (2500m) last spring, Getta Good Feeling dived through late to score an impressive first-up win. 

Matt Harrington, representing the O’Brien stable, said Getta Good Feeling was a high-class filly who was nearly the filly of the spring. 

Getta Good Feeling won the Group 2 Edward Manifold Stakes (1600m) before going on to run third in the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m). 

The filly then went on to win the Group 2 Wakeful Stakes before finishing sixth in the Oaks. 

“To be honest, if you stopped the Oaks at the 200-metre mark, she was probably the form filly of the spring,” Harrington said. 

“She has sort of come here a bit forgotten. The best filly in Victoria was first-up today and after the disappointment of that day we put her out, gave her time and came back here. 

“She’s always run well first-up over 1200 (metres) but that is the hardest one she has been in. She was smothered up and she really let down strong. 

“You probably won’t see her over 2500 metres again but the over a mile or 2000 (metres), the world is her oyster.”