Trainer Ben Brisbourne achieved a significant milestone with Fontein Jewel’s victory in the first race at Flemington on Saturday, making the win particularly special.
The Lucky Vega colt’s triumph in the $150,000 TAB We’re On Handicap (1420m) was the young English trainer’s first at the track since establishing on-course stables at Australia’s premier racecourse in early May.
Brisbourne continues to operate his Wangaratta stable, where Fontein Jewel was listed as trained before Saturday’s event, but he considered the win a collective achievement for his team.
“It the third Flemington winner for us, but the first one at Flemington since we’ve been had a base down here,” Brisbourne remarked. “So that’s a big tick and hopefully it gets us noticed a little bit more, especially with these young younger horses. “It just proves that what we’ve put in place so far is working and we look forward to plenty more successful, hopefully.”
Fontein Jewel, which started as a $7 outsider, displayed a determined effort to win by three-quarters of a length from Insolence ($6.50). Insolence narrowly edged out the closing Spirit Of Macedon ($5) for the runner-up position.
This victory marked the second win from five starts for Fontein Jewel. The colt had previously finished second in the Elvstroem Classic (1300m).
The win occurred just over five years after his dam, Fontein Diamond, won the $250,000 Country Mile Final at Moonee Valley on All-Star Mile Day. Brisbourne expressed his delight at winning significant races with the son of his first major winning mare.
“It’s really nice, because he’s the first foal out of Fontein Diamond, who was my first big winner as a trainer,” Brisbourne stated. “She would have put some toughness into him and then the stallion’s just put a little bit of a class. “It’s absolutely brilliant for Chris (Morey) and Terry (Hurford), who bred him and support me every year with taking shares and horses, to get a big reward here.”
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