Sandown Guineas: Pretty Brazen unlocks door for shot at autumn riches

The options for next year have opened up for expensive three-year-old filly Pretty ­Brazen after her win in the Group 2 Sandown Guineas.

Jockey Dean Yendall steers Pacodali to victory in the Eclipse Stakes. Picture: AAP

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The options for 2020 have opened up for expensive three-year-old filly Pretty ­Brazen after her win in the Group 2 Sandown Guineas.

Trainer Tony McEvoy said the win has unlocked the door for Pretty Brazen to tackle rich 1600m races next year, including the Australian Guineas and the All-Star Mile.

“I wanted to see her win today; I thought she would run 1600m, which she has now done,” McEvoy said.

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Pretty Brazen fought on strongly to win the Sandown Guineas. Picture: AAP

In contrast to her recent runs, Pretty Brazen was pushed forward by Luke Currie in the early stages and then fought on strongly to win.

“She showed her quality and her class,” McEvoy said. “We allowed Luke to press on a bit and when he asked her to come back she did.”

Conqueror couldn't get there, Heart Of Puissance an eye catching run but it's all Pretty Brazen.

A tough performance from the @mcevoymitchell filly in the Sandown Guineas. pic.twitter.com/CN86DCc0LZ

— Racing.com (@Racing) November 16, 2019

Pretty Brazen ($3.50) defeated Conqueror ($14) by a long neck with Heart Of Puissance ($4.20) a short half-head away third.

McEvoy said it had taken a while for Pretty Brazen to click, but she had done so after coming back from Sydney, where she didn’t fire in two starts. “We took her up for the Princes Series, but she wasn’t letting go on that leg,” ­McEvoy said.

“We came home and freshened her up and she went fantastic at Bendigo, then won at Caulfield and I thought her last start at Flemington was her career-best run.”

Trainer Tony McEvoy has plenty of options for Pretty Brazen in the autumn. Picture: AAP

McEvoy said it was a great result as Pretty Brazen — who was a $700,000 yearling ­purchase — was now a Group 2 winner.

Pretty Brazen is by Brazen Beau and is a half-sister to Sertorious and also Dollar For Dollar, which McEvoy trained.

The win completed a winning treble for Luke Currie, who had also won on Hanseatic and Xilong for Tony and Calvin McEvoy. Currie said it was the third treble he had ridden this year.

ON THE PUNT

The Anthony Freedman stable could be on track for a second successive Blue Diamond Stakes after the brilliant debut win by two-year-old colt Hanseatic to win the Merson Cooper Stakes.

Hanseatic is also owned by Godolphin, which raced this year’s Blue Diamond Stakes winner in Lyre. Assistant trainer Sam Freedman said that Hanseatic would have a short let-up and be brought back for the Blue Diamond Stakes.

Freedman said Godolphin had sent them three two-year-olds this season.

They were horses that Anthony or Lee Freedman had had success training members of the family.

Hanseatic swoops down the middle of the track, certainly a lot of upside with this horse. Godolphin continue their good run with 2yos, this one with Team Freedman. pic.twitter.com/1k3IZtOQZ7

— Racing.com (@Racing) November 16, 2019

■ Tony McEvoy has a big opinion of Xilong, who led throughout to win the Twilight Glow Stakes (1400m) and will set her for the Robert Sangster Stakes at Morphettville in May. “That’s what I think of her. She’s up to that level,” McEvoy said, adding he could give her six weeks off and bring her back for that race. It gave Luke Currie a winning double as he also won on Hanseatic.

■ Linda Meech was at her frontrunning best when she managed to win the Summoned Stakes narrowly on Jamaican Rain for Richard Laming. Meech praised the mare’s fighting quality as she said they were headed in the closing stages. Laming said the win again demonstrated that Jamaican Rain wasn’t just a wet tracker.

■ Pacodali earnt the right to chase Group 1 spoils in Perth after a dominant victory in the Group 3 Eclipse Stakes (1800m). Lindsey Smith is expected to target the Kingston Town Stakes at Ascot on December 7, providing the gelding recovers and travels well to WA.

Ridden superbly by Dean Yendall, Pacodali stalked hot favourite Setting Sail before clearing out for an excellent win.

Pacodali will head west for the big Group 1s in Perth after winning the Eclipse Stakes. Picture: AAP

DID YOU SEE/HEAR?

TAB and Herald Sun tipster Nick Quinn channelled his inner Lou Richards when he threatened to shave his hair if Sound won the Sandown Cup. Quinn did have a proviso — he would only do that if the horse started under $3. Quinn was working at Newcastle and had worries when Sound threatened on the turn but gradually dropped off.

■ Robbie Laing was limping around Sandown Hillside but was also rueful about what might been in the opening two-year-old race. On Monday, his colt easily defeated Hanseatic in a Cranbourne jumpout and was set to debut yesterday but was found to be off colour yesterday and was scratched. Laing said he was likely to put the colt away for a short break. As for himself, he said he needed a hip replacement.

HORSES TO FOLLOW

HEART OF PUISSANCE is a horse with a big future. He took up the running in the Sandown Guineas and looked gone early in the straight but kept on fighting to finish a close-up third. HEY DOC made a great return to racing after 14 months on the sidelines. He looked as if he would benefit from the run yet almost won.

STEWARDS’ ROOM

MARK ZAHRA was suspended for six meetings and fined $3000 for overuse of the whip when he won the Zipping Classic on Southern France.

TAB BETTING REVIEW

SANDOWN

RACE 1

FIRST: Hanseatic ($6.75-$4.20 overall, $3.20-$4.20 race day)

SECOND: Dubai Star ($11 solid)

THIRD: River Night ($11-$26)

OTHERS: Geist ($6-$5) & Hard Rock Girl ($17-$9)

BETS: Hanseatic $4,000ew @ $8.00/$3.00, $500 win x $600 place @ $7/$2.70, $5,000ew @ $4.55/$2.05, $2,000ew @ $3.70/$1.80, $2,300ew @ $4.25/1.95, $1,000 @ $3.40, $1,250 @ $3.30, $1,000 @ $4, $1,136 @ $4.20.

RACE 2

FIRST: Azuro ($4.80-$2.80-$3.10)

SECOND: Wall Of Fire ($7-$5.50)

THIRD: Neufbosc ($7-$14-$10)

BETS: Azuro $3,000 @ $4.75, $1,000 @ $4.20, $2,000 @ $5, $1,000 x (2) @ $4.20, $10,150 place @ $1.35

RACE 3

FIRST: Xilong ($3.30-$2.50)

SECOND: Palurien ($3.50-$5.50)

THIRD: Excelida ($26-$34)

OTHERS: (9th) Sophia’s Choice ($8-$6) & (4th) Oasis Girl ($19-$7)

BETS: Xilong $4,000 @ $2.90, $1,500 @ $2.50, Palurien $5,600 @ $5, $8,800 place @ $1.70, Oasis Girl $600ew @ $11/$3.10

RACE 4

FIRST: Gold Fields ($7.50-$5)

SECOND: Mr Exclusive ($15-$19-$14)

THIRD: Travimyfriend ($17-$23)

OTHERS: (6th) Widgee Turf ($2.20-$2.40)

BETS: Music Bay $4,500 @ $6.50, Widgee Turf $7,000 @ $2.30

RACE 5

FIRST: Vridine ($4.40-$8)

SECOND: Mystyko ($26-$41)

THIRD: Thermal Current ($10-$5-$7.50)

OTHERS: (5th) Crystal Dreamer ($7-$5.50)

BETS: Thermal Current $500ew @ $6.50/$2.20

RACE 6

FIRST: Teleplay ($8.50-$12)

SECOND: Home Of The Brave ($3.60-$2.50)

THIRD: Hey Doc ($7-$6)

BETS: Home Of The Brave $2,000 @ $3.70, $2,400 @ $3.40, $2,500 @ $3, $1,500 x (2) @ $2.60/$2.50, $1,700 @ $2.50, Odeon $5,000 @ $11

RACE 7

FIRST: Pretty Brazen ($5.50-$3.30)

SECOND: Conqueror ($9-$11)

THIRD: Heart Of Puissance ($4.60-$4.20)

OTHERS: (4th) Banquo ($4.40-$3.80)

BETS: Banquo $1,000 @ $4.60, $3,000 place $1.70, $1,050 @ $4.40, $1,000 x (2) @ $4.60, $5,000 @ $3.90

RACE 8

FIRST: Southern France ($3.60-$3.10)

SECOND: Miss Siska ($21-$10)

THIRD: Chapada ($10-19)

OTHERS: (8th) Dal Harraild $13-$6.50

BETS: Southern France $2,400 @ $3.60, Dal Harraild $3,000 @ $6.50, Gallic Cheiftain $1,000 @ $8

RACE 9

FIRST: Jamaican Rain ($6.50-$10)

SECOND: Sweet Scandal ($4.60-$5)

THIRD: One More Try ($11-$8)

OTHERS:(6th) Jentico ($17-$6) & (7th) Vanuatu ($4-$5.50 today)

BETS: Vanuatu $2,025 @ $4.40, $4,410 @ $5

RACE 10

FIRST: Pacodali ($4.60-$6)

SECOND: Setting Sail ($2.50-$2.10)

THIRD: Exasperate ($51 solid)

BETS: Setting Sail $4,000 x (2) @ $2, $1,500 @ $2, $7,500 @ $2, $2,000 x (2) @ $2, $6,000 $ 1.95, $7,000 @ $1.90

BETS: Plain Ciel $1,000 x (2) @ $6, Pacodali $1,000 @ $6, Savaheat $1,000 @ $13

Originally published as Sandown Guineas: Pretty Brazen unlocks door for shot at autumn riches