End of the road in sight for Brutality

Group Two winner Brutality is nearing the end of his racing career, but his connections have set one final goal before he bows out.

The rising seven-year-old has won just over $980,000 in stakes and trainer Joe Pride is keen to see him tip over the $1 million mark before his likely retirement at the end of his current campaign.

The horse gets a chance to reach that target when he heads to Randwick for the TAB Handicap (1400m) on Saturday needing a top-two finish to join the millionaire’s club.

“He will have another run or two and he will probably be retired at the end of this prep, but we’ll see how he goes on Saturday first,” Pride said.

“He’s won $980,000 at the moment so hopefully we can make him a millionaire before he finishes up.”

Brutality has won six of his 45 starts but has been difficult to place since capturing the 2021 Villiers Stakes, his get-back racing style only compounding matters.

Still sound and racing competitively, Pride would prefer to see the horse finish that way, particularly after he threw a scare into the camp last start when he was found to be suffering heart arrhythmia when eased out of the race at Randwick.

His three prior runs were all around the mark, including a close fourth in Listed grade at Doomben in May when he was beaten less than a length.

“He’s got that awkward racing pattern and he doesn’t make his own luck at all, which makes it hard for him,” Pride said.

“He’s been a great horse, but winning the Villiers made it very difficult for him from then on in.”

Brutality has topweight of 62kg on Saturday, two kilos more than stablemate Zoushack who has been warming towards another win.

The gelding followed two competitive runs from a spell with a fighting second to Attractable at Rosehill last time out and has an outstanding 1400m record with three wins from four attempts at the journey.

His statistics at the track are less flattering with just one win from seven Randwick starts, but Pride believes those numbers are deceiving.

“He’s had a lot of his starts at Randwick over the shorter courses and that might actually be the reason his win record isn’t quite as flash as it is at other places,” he said.

“But he’s quite versatile in that way. I don’t think it really matters to him where he races.”

Heavyweight jockey Rory Hutchings has been booked to partner Brutality, while Jay Ford rides Zoushack.