Stars aligned for Statuario
ADELAIDE A dominant last-start Listed Stakes victory over 2,400m at Caulfield has given wife-and-husband training partners, Emma-Lee and David Browne, confidence that Statuario deserves to be favourite in the A$1 million (S$836,000) Group 1 South Australian Derby (2,500m) at Morphettville on May 3.
With three wins, two seconds and one third from his 10 starts, the D'argento three-year-old won two consecutive races with Damian Lane up at Cranbourne in September 2024.
But he scored the most significant victory last start with a 2¼-length triumph on April 5.
He went forward early and was sitting fourth at the 800m and 400m marks before cruising to the lead to score easily.
Before that, he was third in the Group 2 Alister Clark Stakes over 2,040m at Moonee Valley, beaten about two lengths.
Emma-Lee Browne said they could not be happier with the draw in barrier 3 and added that their grey gelding was in tip-top order.
She was also excited about crossing the border from their base in Melbourne to tackle one of Adelaide's time-honoured features.
His latest victory ended thoughts that he might struggle to run out a strong 2,400m.
"After he got the 2,400m, we are hoping an extra 100m won't matter," said Browne.
"I had my concerns going into the last start, it was definitely something playing on our mind. But, given he did it so well, it just does give you a little bit more confidence.
"We are just hoping he gets a nice trip like he did last time. (Jockey) John (Allen) got him in the perfect spot last time.
"From our barrier, it doesn't look like he will have to work too hard and he should be able to get him into a nice position."
Browne said if you wanted to "nitpick" Statuario's Caulfield win, he did get all the favours in the running and it turned into a little bit of a sit-and-sprint that favoured him.
"But I just did love the way he sort of stretched away from them," she said. "In some of his races, he has tended to loaf around at the end a little bit, but he was a lot more focused."
Statuario had a 1,200m jump-out at Pakenham on April 22 and was ridden by the Brownes' regular track rider, their daughter Lucy.
Come race day, the reins will be handed over in no safer pair of hands for such a race.
Irish hoop Allen holds the record of most wins with four posted over six years - Howard Be Thy Name (2016), Volatile Mix (2017), Russian Camelot (2020) and Explosive Jack (2021).
Browne said there were a lot of horses in the field they respected, including the Danny O'Brien-trained Politely Dun, who ran second to Statuario at Caulfield and the James Cummings-trained Lavalier.
Lavalier picked up plenty of admirers when finishing off strongly to be less than half-a-length from the highly talented Athanatos in the Group 3 Chairman's Stakes (2,000m) at Morphettville on April 26.
American Wolf, a New Zealand-bred by Tivaci and trained by Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young, stepped up from a 2,000m maiden victory at Ballarat in country Victoria to win the Listed VRC St Leger (2,800m) at Flemington on April 25 and is now on the short back-up.
Busuttin and Young also have another two runners in the race - Confetti Garden and Compressing, who will have familiar Kranji face Daniel Moor in the irons.
Last year's Group 1 Victoria Derby (2,500m) winner Goldrush Guru has since failed to repeat that Flemington form. The son of American Pharoah went to the front after overracing in last week's Chairman's Stakes to finish fifth of 15, beaten about two and a half lengths.
He has drawn poorly in barrier 18 and has had no luck in his past two races. HKJC
