Sydney prizes beckon for Ben Brisbourne after breakthrough Group Two

Ben Brisbourne, fresh from his debut Group Two triumph, shows no signs of slowing down as he pursues more wins in the two-year-old division.

From his base in Wangaratta, the trainer intends to run his minimally experienced filly Salann in Saturday's Listed Fernhill Mile (1600m) at Randwick, eyeing a potential tilt at the Group 1 Champagne Stakes (1600m) seven days later.

A foal by Shamus Award, Salann's first outing came in the Group 3 Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes (1200m) held at Flemington, where she rallied gamely to finish runner-up to the standout Satono Glow.

Salann impressed during Tuesday's trackwork session, boosting Brisbourne's belief in taking her straight to the mile distance.

"We were just seeing how she'd gallop, but she galloped a treat so we're just confirming all the things now," Brisbourne said.

"She galloped over 1000 metres, quickened up the last 600 with an older horse as a bunny and got to the older horse real easy, and that wasn't the impressive part, it was when it took the rider half a mile to pull her up.

"She got home super on debut, we knew that 1200 (metres) was going to be on the sharp side for her, we were just hoping to see her finish going forward and picked up a stakes placing on her debut, and she's trained on well."

Brisbourne first viewed Salann as a quick type suited to shorter trips among two-year-olds, but ongoing assessments have convinced him of her stamina potential.

"We always thought she was a jump-and-run two-year-old and she was sort of our sharper type," Brisbourne said.

"But the more we've been getting through the jump outs and the trials, the more the feedback was she'd be a lovely 1,400-metre horse and beyond."

Grinzinger Heart delivered victory in the Group 2 VRC Sires (1400m) as a big roughie, setting up Salann for a possible stable showdown in the upcoming Champagne Stakes.

"I think she's going that well, and we've got in the back of our minds that if she is as strong a stayer as we think she is as a two-year-old, if she ran well, she'd go into that with the view of backing up the following week in the Champagne," Brisbourne said.

"Grinzinger Heart is great as well, she's trialling Wednesday at Wagga and she goes to the Champagne as well.

"Last year we only had maybe one or two two-year-old runners, this year we haven't really got the stock either but the two we've got to the races are stakes level already.

"I'd love a hundred yearlings to walk into the stable every year but it just doesn't happen so we'll try and do the best with what we've got."

In the Fernhill Mile all-in betting, Salann sits at $8 with Tyler Schiller in the irons.

Check the online bookmakers for betting markets for the Fernhill Mile race.