First Starter, First Winner

Te Akau trainer Jason Bridgman got the new season under way with a dashing win by Brer (6 g China Cat - La Fox, by Corrupt) in the Maiden Steeplechase over 3200 metres, on the first day of the Grand National Carnival, at Riccarton.

In the colours of breeder and owner Peter Grieve, who races the horse with his daughter Kath and son Doug, Brer led for a majority of the race after giving a courageous performance off the front for fourth in his first steeplechase assignment over 4000 metres a fortnight earlier at Te Rapa.

Sixth in the Hawkes Bay Hurdle (3100m) two starts ago, Brer had shown to be an accomplished hurdler with consecutive wins at a similar time last season and a steady build up through this campaign had him spot on for a memorable victory in his new role over the bigger fences.

A very successful Hawkes Bay farmer and racing dignitary, Grieve bred Brer out of La Fox, a grand-daughter of Braless (Showoff II) whom he trained to win the 1000 Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m) in 1977 on the same course at Riccarton.

“She (Braless) ran second on the first day to Uncle Remus (Bandmaster), beaten by half a head in the 2000 Guineas and Brer is from her family,” said Grieve.

“He was a nice foal; a big horse and he's just coming into himself,” said Grieve, of Brer. “He's a nice type for a jumper, but still only a baby as a jumper goes. He's a gross doer that up until now has been a bit above himself, but he looked good going down today.

In the care of Te Akau stable foreman and jumps' maestro Tommy Hazlett who travelled the horse down four days ago, Hazlett reported that “he (Brer) never moved a muscle on the trip down and schooled nicely over a few jumps on Thursday”.

“It was a good run at Te Rapa, having his first go; he was just a little fired up early and we've poked the work into him since, and he has really come on, having improved from that race,” said Hazlett.

"I have to give credit to Jason (Bridgman) and the team at home, as we've all got behind this horse and thanks also to Mr Grieve because we were in two minds as whether to bring him down. But we came and I'm glad we did."

Brer has also taken benefit from a couple of visits to Ann Browne's property at Cambridge with the well-known hill.

In his first full season of riding and having his first look around the course at Riccarton, it was a highly creditable performance by young jumps' rider and Te Akau apprentice Daniel Miller.

“My biggest worry today was him over-racing but I knew from the start that he wasn't going to,” said Miller. “He jumped superbly, he just out jumps everything. I hadn't ridden the horse when he hadn't pulled, so I didn't really know what I was in for but when we turned for home (in front) I gave him a click and he lengthened stride and put up a nice gallop. I was pretty confident halfway down and knew he would keep going."

Photo credit - www.raceimages.net.nz