Mr Brightside stars in 2024 Champions Mile win
If there was any doubt that Mr Brightside had any more in him this spring or that Pride Of Jenni may get the better of him again, the gelding and jockey Craig Williams put that all rest with an emphatic victory in the Champions Mile at Flemington.
It was not that the five-year-old was overlooked by punters as his $5 starting price suggested, but stepping back from 2040-metres last start when finishing fourth in the Group 1 Cox Plate to the 1600-metres of the Group 1 $3 million Mile might have been his undoing.
Certainly not, as he powered to the line to notch his eighth win at the highest level and speared his career prizemoney to more than $16.3 million – that for a horse bought for around $7,000 four years ago.
Consistency counted and the levels of his achievements not lost on the newest generation Lindsay Park training team.
“He’s such a special horse to us,” co-trainer Ben Hayes said.
“I was hoping he could get that gap, and he got it, and he was so strong through the line.”
Winning by a long-neck, Mr Brightside edged out Queensland visitor Antino ($8) with the Chris Waller-trained Fangirl ($5) the same margin away in third.
“He really is our flag bearer,” Will Hayes added.
“We owe this horse everything. He started our momentum as a stable and really generated a lot of hype for us and the way he’s raced today, it was heart-in-your- mouth stuff.
“We took a risk and put the blinkers on, back in trip, it was suitable and Craig rode him terrifically.”
“The grand final was the Cox Plate,” Craig Williams said.
“He ran fourth but ran a phenomenal race. They’ve come here today for the Champions Mile, with all these horses, they’ve gone for blinkers for the first time and he was the right product today.”
Betting Sites favourite Pride Of Jenni ($4.80) led as expected but faded to run last with rider Ben Melham reporting that the mare bled from both nostrils.
On her Pride Of Jenni’s racing future, Ciaron Maher said: “If she was to have been retired at any of her last 10 starts she has still done a phenomenal job.”
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