Trainer ‘incredibly proud’ after $14k yearling McGaw wins $1m Showdown at Caulfield

Emma-Lee Browne was hopeful of winning a race when she bought McGaw for $14,000, but the gelding has now won a $1m race after taking out the Showdown at Caulfield.

Damian Lane steers McGaw to victory in the VOBIS Platinum Showdown at Caulfield. Picture: Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images

The price of the gun doesn’t matter in a Showdown.

The ability to fire at the right time is the only thing that counts in a million-dollar race.

Only one horse in The Showdown fetched less than the $14,000 bid McGaw attracted at a yearling sale last year.

Co-trainer Emma-Lee Browne said McGaw’s legs caught her eye during the inspections.

She added husband and training partner David was far from convinced about the son of I Am Immortal.

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“I liked his long legs,” Browne said.

“I bought him and then he (David) tried to take the mickey out of me and he said, ‘You know it’s got a wonky look.‘

“But no, I loved him”

The Stock Exchange could only marvel at the rate of return on the trainers’ small investment.

McGaw more than doubled that amount in prizemoney and bonuses when he bolted in on debut at Pakenham in January.

Fights on!

Mcgaw joins the rich list after winning the $1 million-dollar Vobis Showdown!@[e-mail]/7Xk8Hf2f0x

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) March 15, 2025

“We bought this horse and just thought hopefully it will win a race, and obviously when he won his first race he’d already won back his purchase price,” Browne said.

The Pakenham win convinced the Brownes to set McGaw the task of adding another $550,000 to that figure at Caulfield.

A wide barrier failed to stop McGaw, who had enough early speed to race handy to the early leader Befuddle.

The pair dominated the race from the front before McGaw got the better of the honest Befuddle in the last 75m to score by a half-length.

McGaw gave the Pakenham-based trainers their richest success since setting up in Australia, following successful trips with the oddly-named but talented galloper Elephant in 2021.

“It (Australia) really is a land of opportunity when you buy one for fourteen (thousand dollars) and you win a race like that,” Browne said.

“Incredibly proud of the horse.”

Owners of McGaw celebrate the popular win. Picture: Jay Town/Racing Photos via Getty Images

Browne said McGaw had his quirks around the stable but shelved his relaxed demeanour on raceday.

“He’s such an amazing horse because he is a bit of a dork,” Browne said.

“He’s got those big ears, he wanders around, he eats all his food, he tries to stand on his own feet.

“And then he gets out there and he does this, just amazing.”

McGaw defied a betting drift, which pushed his price out to $6 at the jump, while punters backed the impressive debut winner Killiana into $2.50 favouritism.

Killiana rolled forward but was unable to reel in the leaders in the straight, fading late to lose third placing on the line to Godolphin youngster Chergui.

Benagil gets home in Guineas after long run

Benagil defied an awkward draw and interrupted run to win the VOBIS Platinum Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield.

The tenacious filly, expertly handled by jockey Michael Dee, finished over the top of Athanatos for a narrow result.

“The plan was to just get her out of the gates and try and be closer if that was possible, but that didn’t eventuate,” Dee said.

“Ended up last three wide with cover, she grabbed the bridle approaching the six, seven hundred (metres), and I thought, well, no point just sort of really holding onto her.

“I thought we might as well go when we did and she made a good long, sustained run.”

Benagil swoops and pull away for a Caulfield double for Glen Thompson!@BallymoreStablspic.twitter.com/1xxzCMY2pg

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) March 15, 2025

Benagil sealed an early double for trainer Glen Thompson, who worked in partnership until recently with the late Michael Moroney.

Benagil could be aimed at the Group 1 Australasian Oaks (2000m) next month in Adelaide.

Dee endorsed the plan.

“I’d say 2000 (metres) would be ideal,” Dee said.

“She’s still got plenty of improvement to come.

“She had only the one jump out leading into the first-up run.

“She ran like she definitely needed it, and today, albeit we made a long, sustained run, she was getting tired that last hundred metres, so there is plenty of improvement to come.”

Athanatos tracked the speed and saved ground in the straight but could not hold out the winner.

Originally published as Trainer ‘incredibly proud’ after $14k yearling McGaw wins $1m Showdown at Caulfield