Matthew Brown pair to tackle Flemington straight

Cranbourne trainer Matthew Brown is hoping the conditions that prevailed in the straight races the last time Flemington raced will again be on offer.

She’s Pretty Rich lines up in the VRC.com.au Sprint (1200m) on Saturday and has drawn the widest gate in the sprint down the famous straight.

Winners in the straight races at the meeting on July 19 – think La Fracas and Losesomewinmore – came widest to claim narrow victories.

She’s Pretty Rich will jump from gate 16 in Saturday’s full field once scratchings are finalised.

“It’s a competitive race, but she’s drawn 20 of 20, so hopefully it’s the right side of the track,” Brown said.

“She had a few runs down the straight as a younger horse and ran some brilliant races.”

Brown said there were excuses for the mare’s poor showing in Sydney in May which had followed wins at Sale and Echuca and a placing at Caulfield in her three previous outings.

“We took her to Sydney for her last run, and she travelled horrendously,” Brown said.

“She had scratches on her legs, and she really should have been scratched, but she ate up and trotted up pretty sound, so we thought seeing as though we’re up here, we’d run her.

“She ran OK, but you could tell that she was a bit off.

“I gave her a few weeks in the paddock when she got home. She had a trial a couple of Monday’s ago and won the trial quite nicely.”

Brown’s stable has been in form of late, producing two winners from the last four starters he has sent to the races.

The ‘old boy’ of the stable, Mr Exclusive, will accompany She’s Pretty Rich to Flemington on Saturday to contest the Jockeys Celebration Day Sprint (1100m).

The 10-year-old is resuming having been withdrawn from a race at Flemington on July 17 when Brown feared the ground may have been too firm.

Brown said he was struggling to get a line on how Mr Exclusive was going as his jump-outs have been on very heavy ground at Cranbourne.

“He wants wet ground, but he doesn’t want bottomless,” Brown said.

“He loves the straight, he doesn’t like corners, because of his conformation he bashes his leg a bit, so when he runs down the straight, he doesn’t bash himself as much.

“As long as he can get his toe in, it’s a small competitive field, and he gets in well with the claim, he should run well.”

Mr Exclusive scored a shock win at Flemington in July last year when he relegated Baraqiel into third place.