Trainer Cliff Brown pulled off a mini training coup when Battle Horse scored a game win first-up from a bleeding attack on Friday night.
The strapping four-year-old son of War Pass had two runs for trainer Shane Baertschiger, showing promise when trying to make all on debut before getting run down late, but he then bled at his next run. A mandatory three-month break ensued, during which time the owners, the Sand Lane Stable switched him to trainer Cliff Brown.
The time on the sidelines had been beneficial to Battle Horse who was taught to relax by his new minder along with a helping hand from jockey Michael Rodd. After a couple of trials, he was ready to step up for his comeback race, which was picked as the $65,000 Initiation race over 1000m, along with a few other tweakings.
“We decided to try something different with him. Switch him off and see how he goes,” said Brown.
“I also took off the blinkers, put cross-noseband and a tongue-tie and rode him more quiet and he ran home really good.
“He’s been trialling well that way and we thought why not try it at his comeback race. He did a good job and also ran time.”
Rodd said the change in gear and strategy paid off and that there should be more up the sleeve.
“Taking the blinkers off really got him to settle a lot better. That’s what we did in his trials, put him at the back and bring him way off the lead.
“But he is still a runner in his head and it showed again tonight. The trick to him is to get him to settle and he will run home.
“Once he backed off, I was confident of a good run. I wanted to follow Manoel’s (Nunes) horse (Fine Choice) at the top of the straight, but went back to the inside instead and he quickened up really well.
“He is by a Zabeel mare (Zabeela) and he should be able to get at least 1200m, which will give him a few more options.”
Favourite Fine Choice had every chance after settling in third in transit, and kicking on strongly down the centre at the 300m, but he will have to live to fight for another day after Battle Horse ($35) snuck up on his inside to defeat him by a neck with race-leader Incandescent (Zuriman Zulkifli) weakening to third place another 3 ½ lengths away. The winning time was 58.58 seconds for the 1000m on Polytrack.
