Mr Brightside braced for Memsie Stakes battle against Alligator Blood and I Wish I Win
A fitter Mr Brightside will be ready to take on established Group 1 stars Alligator Blood and I Wish I Win in Saturday’s Group 1 Memsie Stakes at Caulfield.
Horse Racing
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Tempo won’t matter for Mr Brightside in his bid to maintain the unbeaten start to his spring campaign in the Memsie Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday.
Mr Brightside started his 2023/24 season with a dominant win in the Group 2 PB Lawrence Stakes at Caulfield but will return to Group 1 company in the Memsie Stakes.
The winner of more than $8.4m in stakes is likely to be up against fellow top miler Alligator Blood as well as Golden Eagle and TJ Smith Stakes winner I Wish I Win at on Saturday.
Interestingly, TAB punters were quick to back I Wish I Win when ‘all-in’ betting opened on the Memsie Stakes on Monday afternoon.
I Wish I Win immediately firmed from $3.50 to $3, taking sole favouritism from Mr Brightside, who opened at $3.50.
Alligator Blood’s quote has also tightened from $6 to $5.
The trio are the only runners in single figures in TAB’s market
Mr Brightside has never taken on I Wish I Win but the gelding’s battles with Alligator Blood have produced mixed results.
Alligator Blood has defeated Mr Brightside in races such as last spring’s Underwood Stakes and VRC Champions Mile as well as the Futurity Stakes in February.
But Mr Brightside has won their last two clashes in the All-Star Mile and Doncaster Mile.
Alligator Blood races best when allowed to dictate proceedings from the front but Hayes said Mr Brightside had the tools to cope with whatever tempo prevailed in the Memsie Stakes.
“I think he’s quite a versatile horse now,” Hayes said.
“Slowly-run races or fast-run races, it doesn’t matter to him.”.
Co-trainer Ben Hayes said Mr Brightside has thrived since winning a strongly-run Lawrence Stakes over the Enver Jusufovic-trained Pinstriped.
“He’s generally pretty vulnerable first-up,” Hayes, who trains Mr Brightside in partnership with his brothers Will and JD, said.
“But the way he’s come out of the race and the way he worked on Saturday morning was terrific.
“He’s eaten up very well.”
While times suggested hectic speed prevailed for Mr Brightside’s first-up run, Hayes said the Lawrence Stakes would not flatten the six-year-old for his second-up assignment.
“On data, it was a gut-buster but the horse hasn’t pulled up like it was a gut-buster,” Hayes said.
“He was always travelling on the bridle and hit the front a long way from home.
“If you rely on data, you’ll go mad.”
Originally published as Mr Brightside braced for Memsie Stakes battle against Alligator Blood and I Wish I Win
Racing heavyweights endorse The Everest’s ‘deserved’ Group 1 status
The Everest and All-Star Mile have been announced as freshly-minted Group 1 races.
Japanese stayer to hit Warp Speed in Melbourne Cup
Competitive efforts in top staying races in his homeland should ensure Japanese stayer Warp Speed will be competitive in the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups.