Brutal’s impressive late season debut victory was also stunning on the watch
After being a bit slow to move, Brutal had the pace to recover quickly from barrier three and soon made his way through under Dwayne Dunn to lead.
The colt then travelled really comfortably, dashed clear shortly after turning for home and went on to win easily by a big margin from the Lindsay Park-trained colt Ronan’s Rock (Fastnet Rock) with the filly Humma Humma (Denman) third in the Ladbrokes 2YO Handicap (1200m).
Time for the 1200 metre journey on a Good 4 track was a smart 1:10.40.
Clocked from the 1000 metre point, Brutal’s 200 metre early sectional breakdown was 11.34, 11.46 (400m in 22.80), 11.77 (600m in 34.57) and 10.94 (45.51), with his final 200 metres in 11.23 to give him a fast final 1000 metre time of 56.74.
A feature of Brutal’s sectionals, apart from the impressive last 1000 metres, was the fact that the colt dashed home with fast closing times of 33.94 (last 600m) and 22.16 for his last 400 metres.
And noteworthy was his 10.94 200 metre sectional from the 400 to the 200 metres, a sub-11.00 second section at that stage of the race being the sign of a smart young racehorse, especially racing on debut.
The runner-up, Ronan’s Rock, also warrants acknowledgment. He too was on debut and settled back in second last place in the nine-horse field and although he did not look likely to trouble the winner at any stage, his closing sectionals confirm he, too, has a good future.
Ronan’s Rock closing sectionals were very good, with his last 1000 metres in 57.02, last 800 metres in 45.60, last 600 metres in 34.00, last 400 metres in 22.51 with his final 200 metres in 11.46.
With first and second both racing on debut, an important form factor was that the third-placed filly Humma Humma has good supporting credentials from three prior starts, being placed twice (once in Listed class) and was a recent winner in quick time at Sandown Hillside.
In the main race of the day at Caulfield, the talented Darren Weir-trained sprinter Voodoo Lad (I Am Invincible) resumed from a short break and returned fast closing sectionals in taking out the Sir John Monash Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m) in good style.
Ridden quietly by Brad Rawiller, Voodoo Lad settled at the tail of the seven-horse field, behind a good pace before being taken widest of all on turning for home.
Voodoo Lad then showed a great turn of foot before going on to score with something in hand, by a length and a half from Inn Keeper (Host), who ran a brave race in the lead, with the good colt Jukebox (Snitzel) a promising third, resuming from a setback, a long neck further back.
Time for the 1100 metre journey was 1:03.91 (200m rate of 11.62), equivalent to 1200 metres in 1:09.72.
Voodoo Lad was clocked to run his last 1000 metres in 55.61, last 800 metres in 44.44, last 600 metres in 33.48 and last 400 metres in 21.99, with his final 200 metres in 11.11.
They were really impressive closing sectional times, indicating that Voodoo Lad – twice runner-up at Group 1 level – has returned in top order, perhaps even the best form of this career.
At the Rosehill meeting on Saturday, the Matt Dunn-trained gelding The Fire Trap (Sizzling), a winner of two of his first three starts in Queensland, put up a promising effort in taking out the opening race the Australian Turf Club 2YO Handicap (1400m).
After tracking a moderate mid-race pace, travelling nicely in third place, The Fire Trap impressed in the sprint home by returning quick closing sectionals in running on well to comfortably defeat the leader Master Ash (Sebring) by just under a length.
The Fire Trap was clocked to run his final 600 metres in 33.83 and last 400 metres in 22.22 with his final 200 metres in 11.18.
In the main race, the consistent John Thompson-trained Dreamforce (Fastnet Rock) did well in overcoming an outside barrier position in taking out his first stakes success in the Winter Stakes (Listed, 1400m), his eighth win from 18 starts.
After being wide early on from barrier 13, Dreamforce raced outside the leader before getting to the front halfway down the straight.
Dreamforce then fought back gamely, after working in various early stages of the race, to hold on and score gamely by a long neck from the Chris Waller-trained Invinzabeel (I Am Invincible) in a time of 1.23.50.
But it was Dreamforce’s closing sectionals that took the eye, especially his last 600 metres in 34.64 with his last 400 metres in 23.00 and his final 200 metres in 11.84.
Dreamforce is now to be spelled and aimed at Group 1 handicaps in Melbourne over the spring carnival.