Doncaster Mile: Glen Boss claims seventh win in famous Randwick classic as Brutal destroys rivals
Glen Boss didn’t have to wind back the clock to win the $3m Doncaster Mile because the big-time rider had never lost his talents in the first place. And he proved it with a faultless ride on Brutal to claim his seventh Doncaster.
Glen Boss didn’t have to wind back the clock to win Saturday’s $3m Doncaster Mile on Brutal because the big-time rider had never lost his talents in the first place.
Boss, 49, won his seventh Doncaster Mile in front of 20,483 fans on the Team Hawkes-trained colt after answering a call from to travel from his Singapore base to ride Brutal at 49.5kg.
“One of the owners said, ‘what’s the plan’ and Michael (Hawkes) said, ‘Glen Boss’. We’ve just paid $8000 for him to come out. He came out first class and he’s going back business. I think he should be upgraded,” co-trainer Wayne Hawkes said.
Boss told the team straight away that barrier 21 wouldn’t stop him giving their horse every chance to win and he ensured the three-year-old a beautiful time of it on the speed.
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He sat just outside the leader Dreamforce at the 800m point and that’s when Boss knew he’d be hard to beat. Dreamforce gave a good kick at the top of the straight but with 4kg less the carry Brutal went out after him and gobbled him up at the 100m to go away and win by a length with the gallant topweight Hartnell in third.
Boss proved once again he could get the job done when it counted and his status as big-race jockey continued to live on.
“My riding has never changed and I’m as fit as I’ve ever been throughout my life,” Boss said.
“I thought I had it at about the half mile (800m) because we went too slow and there was not going to be many with my weight that were going to come after me.
“They’re (Doncaster) all great but to come back here to put in the grind and ride 49.5kg feels great. I could run a marathon right now, I feel that good.”
Boss moved to Singapore a few years ago when the rides started to dry up in Australia but he didn’t hold any grudges about that.
“I don’t get dirty on it because I was that young kid coming through who was pushing people out my age so it’s the nature of the game,” he said.
“I know, mentally and physically, that I’m as good as anyone. I miss these days and I miss these moments because that’s what I was born to do.”
Co-trainer Michael Hawkes said the Doncaster triumph was right up there with winning the Golden Slipper on Estijaab last year and Mossfun in 2014 and he was as emotional as the tears started to flow post-race.
“A few of the owners asked me if I was nervous and I wasn’t. I just wanted everything to go to plan and everything went 110 per cent to plan,” Hawkes said.
“There is just so many people to thank, these owners have been fantastic for us. They’ve let us do what we wanted to do. We always knew we had the right horse and that man Bossy, what a ride.
“He got into a beautiful rhythm and did what he had to do. This is pretty good.”
The last time the Hawkes family experienced a Doncaster win was when John won the race on his own with Over, who upset the champion Sunline in 2000.
“It’s a phenomenal moment. David Russo (part-owner) has had eight Group 1 seconds and he’s finally got one,” Michael Hawkes said. “The skies the limit with Brutal and the best is yet to come.”
Wayne Hawkes said the team actually went to find some good fortune before the race.
“We went to the old spot where we used to watch Lonhro and Octagonal and it brought us luck, that’s for sure,” he said.
John Thompson, trainer of the runner-up Dreamforce, maintained all autumn that his horse was going to be a Doncaster force and that the handicapper underrated him.
His jockey Damian Lane agreed.
“He was so brave. John’s got the horse flying. I thought he gave a really good kick at the top of the rise, almost a winning kick, but Brutal was too strong. The horse is flying,” Lane said.
TAB BETTING ANALYSIS
DONCASTER MILE
NOTABLE BETS ON BRUTAL
$2000 @ $11 {placed on March 25}
$2000 @ $7 ** two separate bets **
$2000 each-way @ $6.50/$2.60
$1500 @ $7.50
$1500 @ $7
$1150 @ $5.50 {placed on April 4}
$1000 @ $7.50 ** four separate bets **
$1000 each-way @ $7/$2.50
$1000 @ $7 ** seven separate bets **
$1000 @ $6 ** four separate bets **
NOTABLE MULTIS INVOLVING BRUTAL
$1100 @ $30.25 [to collect $33,275] on Microphone (won Inglis Sires’) | Brutal {placed on April 4}
$500 @ $56 [to collect $28,000] on Santa Ana Lane (won T.J. Smith Stakes) | Brutal {placed on March 30}
Bets of Note on Other Runners (placed Saturday unless stated)
$5000 @ $8 on Hartnell (Third)
$5000 @ $4.80 the place on Dixie Blossoms {placed on April 5}
$3000 @ $8.50 on Hartnell (Third)
$2000 @ $40 the place on Violate {placed on April 5}
$2000 @ $9.50 on Hartnell (Third) {placed on April 4}
$2000 @ $7 on Hartnell (Third) ** two separate bets **
$2000 @ $6.50 on Fifty Stars (Unplaced)
$1500 @ $13 on Unforgotten (Unplaced)
$1500 @ $12 on Dixie Blossoms (Unplaced)
$1200 @ $23 on Le Romain (Unplaced)
$1000 @ $51 on Fifty Stars (Unplaced) {placed on February 13}
$1000 each-way @ $23/$7 on I Am Serious (Unplaced) {placed on April 5}
$1000 @ $16 on Widgee Turf (Unplaced)
$1000 each-way @ $15/$4.40 on Dixie Blossoms (Unplaced)
$1000 each-way @ $13/$4.20 on Unforgotten (Unplaced)
MICROPHONE SPEAKS VOLUMES IN SIRES
David Riccio
JAMES Cummings anointed Microphone the best two-year-old in Australia after the courageous colt continued the Blue Army’s total dominance of the juvenile racing calendar.
Just a fortnight after finishing second in the Golden Slipper, Microphone went one better in the $1 million Group 1 Inglis Sires’ (1400m) at Royal Randwick.
It was yet another Group One victory for the brilliant blue silks of Godolphin having finished 1-2-3 in the Slipper with winner Kiamichi.
Cummings was in awe of Microphone’s courage to not only back-up from an ever-engrossing Slipper campaign, but to win with such power having commenced its racing campaign in early January.
“This is an excellent effort from the guys to hold the horse together since the Slipper,’’ Cummings said. “We barely did anything with him and he was just absolutely perfect for today.
“I can see the horse is just about as mature as he’s been with a performance like that.
“His quality was able to shine through.
“He stormed to the line once again in another top class two-year-old race.
“I think that his longevity in this campaign, his strength his class, his courage, I think all those things point to him being the best two-year old in the country this season.
“Sometimes there can be horses that can be more impressive early, but this horse was just burning along in the early stages.
“He knew what he had, it was just a bit of fitness, a bit of training that got it out of him.’’
From barrier 11, Hugh Bowman delivered a beautifully patient and classy ride yesterday.
Bowman ettled the Exceed And Excel colt fifth, in behind the speed set by a brave Kiamichi, before letting down powerfully along the inside of the track.
Microphone ($4.60) won by 3/4 of a length, beating $4.20 favourite Loving Gaby, with Kiamichi ($7.50) and Castelvecchio ($10) finishing in a dead-heat for third.
While the classy Sires win secures Microphone’s future at stud, Cummings said yesterday wasn’t the time to be making decisions on the colt’s immediate racing future, including the possibility of starting in the Group 1 Champagne Stakes (1600m) on the second day of The Championships.
“We don’t make any decisions on raceday, we’ll let the dust settle and talk to the boys about it,’’ Cummings said. “I’m pretty excited about his strong effort there at seven furlongs.
“He was able to build underneath Kiamchihi and got to the line like a top class colt.
“He’s a star horse and I can’t tell you how proud I am for him.’’
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