3 minute read

Premier trainer Scott Brunton had another good day at the office on Sunday, preparing five winners, of which one was a dead-heat in the opening event that saw Irish Shotgun cross the line with Le Dernier Fille, much to the annoyance of the connections of the latter.

In Brief

• Dead-heat causes conflict in opening race.
• Brinktop Lad impresses again.
• Keys trains double to give life partners seven for the day.

Le Dernier Fille's rider Troy Baker demanded to see the photo-finish print, which appeared in the form of a still on a stewards' TV monitor.

Baker and the owners of the mare argued that Le Dernier Fille's nose appeared to have obscured the smallest amount of the white finish line, while all the white line was visible adjacent to the nose of Irish Shotgun.

The judge Ken Beck described it as an optical illusion and that flaring gave the impression there was margin in favour of the outside horse (Le Dernier Fille).

After hearing all arguments, the stewards, under the acting chairmanship of Bruce Free, backed the judge's decision and declared correct weight.

But from race four onwards it became the Brunton show.

We Deserve This won a maiden-class one over 1600m and was very impressive in the way put his rivals away over the concluding stages with David Pires aboard.

Kuroset delivered a similar effort to take out a 0-66 handicap over 1100m with in-form apprentice Erica Byrne Burke in the saddle.

The four-year-old mare again showed a brilliant turn of foot to put the result beyond doubt 200m from home.

Pires then teamed up with Brinktop Lad ($1.85 fav) in a class one handicap over 1200m despite laying in 150m from home he still had over a length to spare on the line to defeat stablemates Seguimientos (Siggy Carr) and Robben Island (Byrne Burke).

Brinktop Lad has loads of ability, but he needs to be managed due to minor leg issues and is well suited to rain affected ground.

Brunton's evergreen seven-year-old Savs Finale ($4.20) delivered the goods in the benchmark 78 handicap over 1200m, scoring by two lengths from stablemates Ruettiger ($5.50) and Jeremiah ($10) that rattled home late to give the stable back-to-back race trifectas.

Pires ended the meeting with a treble while in-form apprentice Byrne Burke snared another double.

Brunton's life partner Tegan Keys snaffled a training double with dead-heater Le Dernier Fille and she prepared the last winner on the card, Flourishing Future ($6), that toppled Brunton's race favourite Born Magic ($2.70) by the narrowest of margins.