Brabinger was set to be one of the stars of the 2016 Easter sale until fate took a turn for the worse.
The brother to Cox Plate winner Shamus Award with the good looks to match would have brought a kings ransom, but an injured a sesamoid meant he had to be retained by breeder Bob Hannon.
Top sort: Brabinger returns to scale after keeping his unbeaten record intact at Newcastle.
Photo: Max Mason-Hubers
More than two years later, Brabinger is living up to his star billing by winning his first two starts.
“He is a beautiful type of horse and never got his chance in the ring," trainer Kris Lees said. "He would have been one of best colts at the sales. It's been a wait to get him to the track, but he has done everything right since we got him there.
“He is a long way from what he would have sold for in terms of prizemoney, but he is a nice horse.”
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Brabinger's rehabilitation process meant he didnt see the track as a two-year-old, and it has taken until the end of his three-year-old year to get the colt into full training.
A couple of easy wins on his home track at Newcastle, firstly in a maiden and then a class 2, have given Lees the confidence to bring him to Rosehill for his biggest test.
“We are going to find out where he stands against the city horses. He can only win like he has, but this is jumping a couple of grades,” Lees said. “He is a classy individual, but you dont know how good they are until they get put under that extra pressure.”
Brabinger has been backed from $4.20 to $3.20 since markets opened on Wednesday and is part of a strong team for the Lees stable at Rosehill.
“He gets his chance to show how good he is, but we also have Chalmers, which has won three of his past five, and Princess Posh, which probably should have finish much closer last time,” Lees said. “We are going to the races hoping for a bit of luck.”
Luck was something that was in short supply for Princess Posh when third to I Am Serious a fortnight ago. She was poised to challenge at the top of the straight but was held up until the 200m mark and only go out when the race was over.
“We had a shot at the Provincial Championships with her. She won a heat, but Damien Oliver said she didnt feel right in the final and eased her out it,” Lees said. “We freshened her up and she was very good late last time, and I think we have found a good race for her.”
Lees will also keep a close eye on the Sunshine Coast, where he has sent Rosehill scratching Raiden as well as Just Dreaming, Envy Of All, Aide Memoire and Karavali.
“They are all horses that like a bit of give in the ground and they are going to get that up there,” Lees said. “I thought Envy Of All was good when she got out in the Denises Joy at Scone first-up and she is probably our best hope up there.”
Racing writer for The Sydney Morning Herald
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