Brisbane beckons Blind Raise post Anzac Day Stakes success at Flemington
Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young plan to send Blind Raise northward to Brisbane after his dominant display at Flemington.
On Saturday, Blind Raise secured victory in the Listed Anzac Day Stakes (1400m), mirroring the feat of stablemate Epimeles from 2024.
After Epimeles' triumph, Busuttin and Young opted for a spell aimed at a spring preparation, but Blind Raise will follow a different path.
Under Beau Mertens as the $2.15 market elect, Blind Raise scored by two lengths ahead of Profligate ($7.50), with Seraphox ($4.40) just a half-head adrift in third place.
The trainer revealed targets including the Group 2 BRC Sires' Produce Stakes (1400m) at Eagle Farm in the coming month and the Group 1 J J Atkins (1600m) during June for Blind Raise.
"Plenty of things can go wrong between now and when they turn three and that's why we want to go to Brisbane," Busuttin said.
"When Epimeles won this race, we said we'd spell and go for the spring, but things haven't stopped going wrong with him ever since.
"For this bloke, there's two one-million-dollar races up in Queensland and I might even get a trip up there."
Blind Raise stays undefeated in two starts, kicking off his career with a win at Sandown in early April.
Busuttin expressed delight at Blind Raise advancing from his debut to Stakes company success over the weekend.
"He did it pretty impressively and the market said he would and you always want to see them do it, especially at their second start," Busuttin said.
"He's taken that next step, and he's done it pretty easily, although he floated out in front by himself a bit, but it's good to get the job done."
A $70,000 buy from New Zealand, Blind Raise hails from Victoria Derby victor Ace High and a mare by elite Group 1 winner Seachange.
"This horse has got some of his sire's ability and his granddam's ability, Seachange," Busuttin said.
"She was a proper horse, and the blood always seems to come through out of those good mares, probably not the first line but in their second."
Online bookmakers have keen betting markets for the race featuring Blind Raise's next targets in Brisbane.
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