Although victory in the VOBIS Platinum Showdown at Caulfield may not carry the same prestige as a Stakes race win, it holds a much deeper significance for husband-and-wife training duo Emma-Lee and David Browne.
The win by their unbeaten galloper Mcgaw in the $1 million (1200m) contest for two-year-olds on Saturday was their biggest achievement in eight years of training.
Previously, the pair had enjoyed a Group 2 victory with Belle Du Nord in New Zealand, and since relocating to Pakenham two years ago, their most significant success has been Elephant, who reached Group 3 level.
Damian Lane chose to bypass the Sydney feature meeting to ride McGaw ($6.50), who triumphed by half a length over Befuddle ($21), with Chergui ($13) finishing a short-half-head behind in third.
Emma-Lee Browne spent $14,000 to purchase McGaw as a yearling, and the gelding’s earnings have now just shy of reached $600,000 following his Saturday win.
After debuting with a win at Pakenham in January, the Brownes decided to skip the Blue Diamond Series to focus entirely on Saturday’s race.
“It really is a land of opportunity when you buy one for $14,000 and you win a race like that,” Emma-Lee Browne said.
“I’m incredibly proud of the horse. Proud of Damien. Thanks for staying in Melbourne!
“Hopefully we’re here in the spring. I love spring in Melbourne, and we love being a part of it, so hopefully he’s here.”
Browne shared that she was drawn to McGaw’s long legs, although her husband questioned her reasoning for purchasing the gelding.
“I bought him, and then he (David) tried to take the mickey out of me, saying, ‘You know, it’s got a wonky leg.’
“I loved him, and obviously we went round and looked at him.
“He’s such an amazing horse because he is a bit of a dork. He’s got those big ears, he wanders around, he eats all his food, he tries to stand on his own feet.
“Then he gets out there and he does this—just amazing.”
Lane described McGaw as still being very raw, much like a big kid.
“He goes to the barriers trying to take off and jump over different coloured patches of grass,” Lane said.
“To be able to do what he’s doing on race day, hopefully, that means with natural progression, he can improve, and hopefully, like Emma-Lee, we will see where he goes in the spring.”