The Hope team saddled up Big Brew to provide them with their first city winner at Ladbrokes Park Sandown on Wednesday since returning from a three-year hiatus.
In only his fifth start for Hope Racing, Big Brew, paying $9.50, came from the rear of the 15-horse field to storm down the outside of the Hillside track to take out the $50,000 Tile Importer Handicap over 1500 metres.
Ridden by the in-form claiming two kilogram apprentice Alana Kelly, the six-year-old Magnus gelding got up in a blanket finish to defeat Sunfall, $9.50, by a half-head with Santero, $8.50, a short-half-head away third.
Formerly trained by Mark and Levi Kavanagh at Flemington, the gelding was bred and is raced by Bill Bowness who was introduced to Lee and Shannon Hope by long-time friend and stable client, Tony ‘Tubba’ Williams.
Hope HR manager Carol Shinn said the gelding arrived into the Kilmore stables early February.
“He has thrived in the country environment ever since and he has never ran a bad race,” she said.
“He was stiff not to win at Pakenham as the race was particularly earmarked by the team, being Super Vobis race but he was beaten by an upcoming horse (Gate Crash) in the last couple of strides.
“Lee and Shannon were reasonably confident he would acquit himself well (at Sandown) especially with the light weight on his back and Alana executed the ride perfectly.”
Big Brew, a stable favourite due to his pleasant nature, will head back to Sandown in two or three weeks as there are plenty of suitable races at that track coming up in the next six weeks.
The gelding has now won four races with seven minor placings from his 29 starts.
“Pegs” – North Central Review