Bravo Centurion bids for seven straight in the Winterbottom
Local hope out to repel challengers from the east and extend his formidable winning streak
It could be a day of firsts for the connections of Bravo Centurion (National Defense) when Western Australia’s hottest horse aims to repel the eastern invasion and extend his picket fence in Saturday’s Winterbottom Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m).
Luke Fernie and Alan Bansemer, respectively the trainer and breeder of speed machine Bravo Centurion, will both be bidding to make their Group 1 breakthroughs in the $1.5 million feature at Ascot.
Fernie will launch a three-pronged home-track attack in the Winterbottom, with his stakes-winning mare Laced Up Heels (Toronado) and five-year-old gelding Man Crush (Manhattan Rain) also representing the horseman, who became the fourth generation of his family to take up training after aborting a brief career as a tradesman.
But having won six races on the bounce, culminating in his 3.9-length romp in the Prince Of Wales Stakes (Gr 3, 1000m) at the start of the month, it is undoubtedly Bravo Centurion who carries the most momentum into the Winterbottom as he seeks to go two better than stablemate Ripcord (Written By), a minor placegetter behind Overpass (Vancouver) in the corresponding race 12 months ago.
Bjorn Baker’s money-spinner heads the betting markets ahead of the rejuvenated Western Empire (Ifraaj) and James McDonald’s mount Lady Laguna (Overshare), who will attempt to continue Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald’s run of Group 1 success in Perth after the stable claimed the Railway Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) last Saturday with Port Lockroy (Better Than Ready).
The chances of Overpass, who has three wins from his three forays to Perth, going back-to-back in the Winterbottom were dented when he drew the outside alley.
Unfortunately for Fernie, Bravo Centurion fared little better and the four-year-old will eyeball the defending champion from barrier 15. However, given his explosive gate speed Fernie feels the wide draw shouldn’t prove too big a hindrance for Bravo Centurion, who will once again be partnered by his regular rider Chris Parnham.
“He’s usually so fast out of the gates so as long as he can jump quickly again on Saturday, hopefully he can cross the horses inside him without using up too much petrol,” Fernie told ANZ Bloodstock News.
“He made a mess of them last time in the Prince Of Wales, this is clearly a much harder race with the likes of Overpass and Lady Laguna heading over, but if he can replicate that performance then he’s got every chance. He was strong at the end of that race so I don’t think the step up to 1200 metres will be an issue for him.
“He can’t do anything more than he’s done so far in his career, so although we respect the opposition because they’re very well-credentialled horses, we certainly don’t fear them. Given his form he deserves a crack at a Group 1 race, and we’ve always hoped he could get to that level because he’s shown plenty of ability from the first time he walked through the stable doors.
“Unfortunately earlier in his career he suffered with some soft bone issues, he kept getting shin sore and he wasn’t enjoying being in work, which meant we had to back off him and tread very carefully. But fingers crossed he seems to be over that now and he’s in a really good headspace, so unless there are any last-minute hiccups it’s all systems go for Saturday.”
The $40,000 Fernie parted with for Lot 282 at the 2022 Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale represents outstanding value, given Bravo Centurion’s racetrack returns are just shy of $300,000 from his eight starts to date.
Tragically his sire National Defense (invincible Spirit), who won the 2016 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (Gr 1, 1600m) at Chantilly as a juvenile, died midway through his third season shuttling from the Irish National Stud to Sun Stud (now Widden Victoria) in 2022.
But his legacy lives on through the exploits of Bravo Centurion, whose size and strength caught Fernie’s eye and convinced him and his father Peter – a successful trainer with more than 1,000 winners to his name – to go the extra bid to secure him.
“He was a big, robust type and he didn’t look like he needed to do much growing so I was definitely keen to take him home with me,” said Fernie Jnr.
“I didn’t really have a budget in mind, if I really like a horse which I did with him, I tend to bid and then worry about the price afterwards. That can be a bit risky but it’s obviously paid off with this bloke.
“I thought he’d be up and going as a two-year-old and in the early stages I had it in my mind that he might be a Karakata Plate horse. But then he had his bone issues and on reflection I’m glad it didn’t eventuate, because the more patient approach we had to take might have been the making of him.”
Bansemer, who has recently relocated to Sydney from Western Australia, will be a very keen observer having bred and raised Bravo Centurion under his Namerik Thoroughbreds banner.
Bansemer bred Bravo Centurion’s dam Comme Ca (Authorized) out of the Encosta De Lago (Fairy King) mare Tease Me, whom he purchased for $32,000 at the 2011 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale three years after she had retired with a record of two wins from 11 starts for David Hayes.
He had originally planned to sell Comme Ca, but when she failed to meet her $40,000 reserve price at the 2013 Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale Bansemer took her home and decided to race her. Having shown only moderate ability, she finished third in her sole competitive start, the breeding barn beckoned and she has since produced three foals to race, with Bravo Centurion the best of them by the length of the Ascot straight.
“I really liked him as a yearling so I thought he would be pretty popular at the sales,” Bansemer told ANZ Bloodstock News.
“Unfortunately there wasn’t a whole lot of interest in him but I knew that Luke liked him, and he’s obviously a pretty good judge. Of course you never know how things will pan out but I’ve certainly enjoyed watching his winning streak, and hopefully he can keep it going on Saturday.
“It would be a big thrill to say I’ve bred a Group 1 winner, I’ve had runners in Group 1s before but none of them were heading into the race in the sort of form that he’s in. So it’s exciting but sadly it won’t make any difference to the bank balance, because I gave up the business a little while ago and I only really breed as a hobby nowadays – although it’s probably more of an addiction than a hobby.”