Sargent relief as Brandenburg stays put

Sunday 28 June 2020, 3:05pm

Australian racing continues to stem the tide of promising horses heading offshore with the owners of Brandenburg knocking back lucrative international offers.

While Randwick Guineas winner Shadow Hero has been sold to Hong Kong, the connections of Brandenburg join those of stakes winners Kinane and Front Page to turn down overseas buyers.

The news Brandenburg will continue his career in Australia is music to the ears of trainer John Sargent who believes the three-year-old's best racing is still ahead.

The colt has already compiled a strong resume, winning the Group Two Hobartville Stakes and placing against older horses in the Group One Doncaster Mile.

He is back in training at Sargent's Randwick stable and has progressed to three-quarter pace work ahead of an ambitious spring.

Sargent confirmed Brandenburg would have two barrier trials before resuming in the Group One Winx Stakes (1400m) at Randwick in August.

"He's matured now. He was always a weak three-year-old, now he's got a neck and a behind and he's strong," Sargent said.

"He should measure up with the big boys."

While Brandenburg's return race is set in stone, all options for the remainder of the spring are on the table.

The colt is yet to be tested beyond a mile but Sargent, a prolific trainer of stayers and middle-distance gallopers, has no doubt Brandenburg can extend his brilliance to longer journeys.

He has earmarked the $7.5 million Golden Eagle (1500m) at Rosehill on October 31 and the 100th edition of the Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley a week earlier as prominent targets.

– AAP

Latest News

Prime Thoroughbreds - We have a Host of Leaders in our Team

Tuesday, 29 June 2021

Prime Thor­ough­bred’s cur­rent rac­ing team is putt­ing to­gether quite a re­cord. We have 22 hors­es that have raced in our team at pre­sent. Six­teen of th­ese are win­n­ers in­clud­ing the Stakes win­n­ing trio Ru­bisa­ki, Fituese and Xtreme­time with Miss Di­vine Em and Miss In Charge run­n­ing 4th in Stakes races. This sees a stakes win­n­er to win­n­er ra­tio of 18.75% with a stake’s per­formed to win­n­er ra­tio of 31.25%. Th­ese are ex­cep­tio­n­al fig­ures.   More »

Freedmans land maiden Group One win

Saturday, 27 February 2021

Un­der-rat­ed fil­ly For­bid­den Love has emerged as an au­tumn car­ni­val smokey with a bril­liant per­for­mance to win the Sur­round Stakes at Rand­wick.  More »

Capriccio completes Damian Lane treble

Saturday, 27 February 2021

In a big day for coun­try-trained hors­es, War­r­nam­bool fil­ly Capric­cio has tak­en out the In­glis Dash for Daniel Bow­man.  More »

More news headlines »