Fresh off their most significant training achievement, Emma-Lee and David Browne are aiming to maintain their momentum at Moonee Valley.
The victory of McGaw in the VOBIS Platinum Showdown (1200m) at Caulfield last Saturday might not have been a Stakes race, but the substantial prize money certainly compensated for that.
Since forming their training partnership in 2016, the Brownes have secured only two Stakes wins—one in New Zealand and one in Australia. They hope to add to that tally when Statuario competes in the Group 2 Alister Clark Stakes (2040m) at The Valley this Saturday.
Emma-Lee Browne believes Statuario will benefit from the increased distance and smaller field size on Saturday, especially after finishing second to last in the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on March 1.
Statuario has two wins to his name, with one of his standout performances being a second-place finish in the Listed Batman Stakes (1800m) at Flemington during Melbourne Cup week.
“He had an outside draw in the Guineas, which was a high-pressure race, but I still thought he finished strongly,” Browne said.
“The step up in distance this time will suit him, as I don’t believe he’s as sharp as some of the pure milers.
“We felt the same way during the spring. His best run was over 1800 meters during the Carnival at Flemington.
“We don’t get many chances in Group 1 races, so we took the opportunity, but the wide draw didn’t help his cause.”
Browne added that Statuario’s performance on Saturday will help determine their future plans. Options include the Group 1 Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick or the Group 1 South Australian Derby (2500m) at Morphettville.
Browne also reflected on McGaw’s recent success, admitting she was still processing the win after a night of celebrations over the weekend.
“I’m still pinching myself,” she said.
“He’s an incredible horse. He recovered so well the next morning, it was as if he hadn’t even raced.
“He’s a fantastic horse, but he’s still growing, so we’ll take our time with him.”
