Kranji Mile winning trainer Cliff Brown may not have any runner in the Group 3 Saas Fee Stakes on Sunday, but he is far from resting on his laurels as he gang-tackles Friday’s Class 3 race over 1600m with three solid chances, but said they will have to beat Lim’s Cruiser to come out tops.
Debt Collector handed the Australian trainer a breathtaking win in the Panasonic Kranji Mile (1600m) on Sunday, bringing up his fourth Group 1 win from six such events this year.
Zeus, Gilt Complex and Magstock may not be cut from the same cloth as Brown’s multiple-Group winner, but they are smart competitors in that bracket, and either won’t spring a big surprise if he lowers the boom of the likely raging favourite, Stephen Gray’s Lim’s Cruiser.
Forever the realist, though, Brown still believes they have their jobs cut out, just hoping one of them can profit from any bad day at the office from the son of Casino Prince.
“All three horses are in very good form, but they all have to beat that very good horse of Stephen’s, Lim’s Cruiser,” said Brown in reference to the Lim’s Stable’s new rising star, a three-time winner who has not finished worse than second in five outings.
“He was very impressive at his last two runs and my horses will have to be at their best to beat him. I really can’t see how he can lose.
“No doubt he’s giving them weight, especially Gilt Complex and Magstock, but there is still a gulf in class.
“Gilt Complex has been a bit of a puzzle to me. He looks well, works well, but I think he needs more ground.
“I actually entered him in a Benchmark 67 race over 2000m, but it was deleted. I had no other option but to run him in this race.
“The horse is doing well and I just hope he can get there in time. Zeus ran a very good race first-up the other day and I expect him to improve from that run.
“As for Magstock, he’s really improved since we fitted blinkers on him. He’s a nice young horse who is up in grade, but he’s fit enough and he should run well, too.”
Interestingly, Brown has booked new jockeys for all three runners, but the reshuffle was purely based on riders’ availability.
Corey Brown is the regular partner for both Gilt Complex (x Gold Centre) and Zeus (x Excellent Art), but as the Australian jockeys is currently serving a two-day ban incurred at his cameo ride in Caulfield for careless riding last Saturday (he resumes on Sunday), Brown had to look elsewhere and came up with Glen Boss for Gilt Complex and leading apprentice jockey Wong Chin Chuen for Zeus.
As for Magstock, there is no way that his usual partner, heavyweight jockey Michael Rodd could make 53 kilos. Brown is putting Shafiq Rizuan for the first time on the Tavistock four-year-old.
“It’s a small but select field. It’s not just Lim’s Cruiser they have to worry about,” said Brown.
“There are some other good horses (eg Iking and Big Brother) in the race, but I’ve got my three horses fit and ready for this race and let’s hope for a good result tomorrow.”
