Doug Gorrel unleashed the "most exciting horse" he's ever trained at Thoroughbred Park on Friday afternoon, landing an emphatic debut win with Brothers Of Antrim in the Maiden Plate (1000m).
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The three-year-old presented at the top of the straight and produced a huge run to wear down odds-on favourite Dreamline, the pair having cleared five lengths out from the chasing pack.
Brothers Of Antrim was formerly under the care of Craig Widdison at Wodonga, but was rehomed after the Victorian trainer was banned for two years in April 2020.
Gorrel admitted he was on the verge of postponing the horse's debut run until next campaign, but opted to send him around on his home track with perfect results.
"When the whips were cracking that last furlong today he fought, he was never going to let that odds-on favourite beat him," Gorrel said.
"He's the most exciting horse I've trained. He could go on from here.
"He's a big strong athletic fellow. He eats well and I think he'll even come out of that better as long as he stands up mentally.
"I was just thinking that he might have been having enough of the arduous task of being in training. I was thinking about tipping him out, we'll just see how he pulls up, we might give him a week in the paddock, freshen up mentally and make sure he's happy. Otherwise he might go round again."
Brothers Of Antrim jumped from the inside alley, but was a fraction tardy out of the gates. Jockey Mathew Cahill kicked him up to find a handy spot one back on the rail, and he had a lapful of horse coming around the bend.
"It was a good ride by Matty, that odds-on favourite, it's race was always to go forward so everyone was probably thinking of getting on its bum," Gorrel said.
"In the end Matty did that really well. It's early days, he's got to pull up and recover and he's got to stay up but hopefully we can find another few for him.
"We'll probably just try and go through his grades, probably find a Class 1. There's no point pushing them because he's only three.
"If he pulls up well we might give him a week just to freshen up mentally, or otherwise he might have a good spell. He's a nice horse, he can gallop."
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Gorrel leases Brothers Of Antrim off Kooringal Stud out at Wagga, where he'll send four-year-old mare Same Old Scene for a run in the Benchmark 58 Handicap (2000m).
"She's not built to be a race horse but she's very tough," Gorrel said.
"I haven't had a chance to go right through that race form wise but she'll be honest. She'll try her heart out, we just need the breaks.
"She's limited but she's tough and honest. You'd rather them than the ones that toss the towel in."
Leading trainer Keith Dryden claimed the biggest race on the card on Friday with Eltham Palace winning the Federal (1200m).
James Buckley
James is a Queanbeyan boy enjoying his second stint at the Canberra Times, more than eight years on from his first. In between he's traveled the world, and spent time covering sport in Sydney.
James is a Queanbeyan boy enjoying his second stint at the Canberra Times, more than eight years on from his first. In between he's traveled the world, and spent time covering sport in Sydney.
