Damian Browne described as a 'wizard' as Liesele wins the Listed Alinghi Stakes

VIDEO: DAMIAN Browne was described as a wizard as Lieseletook out the Listed Alinghi Stakes on Saturday.

DAMIAN Browne was described as a wizard in some quarters as Liesele continued the brilliant support role being played by Queensland trained runners in Melbourne by taking the Listed Alinghi Stakes on Saturday.

“Have you ever seen a better ride than that? He’s a genius,” a disbelieving trainer Liam Birchley said .

Having beaten subsequent dual Group 1 winner Sincero at her third start in a race, Liesele finally cracked it for a maiden stakes win yesterday, having career run number 37.

It’s not as if she’s been a dud, she has now won nine races and nearly $500,000, but it’s fair to say trainer Liam Birchley expected the black type win to come much earlier.

“It has been so frustrating at times because I always knew she had that kind of ability,” the trainer said.

“But she does need things to go her way and maybe a lot of those races in Brisbane just haven’t had the speed she needs to produce her best.”

Retirement had been an option this year and the decision to race on has been a worthy one.

Birchley will now pick out a race at Flemington during Cup week.

While Liesele was impressive, winning virtually untouched, it was Browne’s ride that had the southerners talking post race after finding the fence after jumping from barrier 14.

“I came out and originally was going to try and slot in somewhere, but they were going way too hard and there was no way I wanted to get stuck out in that wind, so I just snagged her back and across,” Browne said.

“From the 600m onwards, they just kept rolling off the fence and I was able to keep moving forward without spending a dime.

“So when I went to make my run I was only two to three lengths off them instead of seven.”

Browne said he was at a loss to explain Liesele’s poor form last preparation, but was pleased she had produced her best on one of Australian racing’s biggest days.

“That was more like the form she showed two preparations ago and obviously Liam’s ironed out whatever was wrong with her.”