As career debuts go, they do not come much better than the last to first display put on by the John O’Shea-trained Bravado in a 1000 metre 2yo maiden at Kembla Grange on Thursday.
With Brenton Avdulla in the saddle, the striking son of Toronado (IRE) settled at the tail of the 7-horse field. By the time he was switched out to the centre of the track in the straight it looked likely he was in the race for second as Tulloch Lodge’s heavily backed Deep Field filly La Foret had set up a commanding lead halfway down the straight.
With long, lopping strides, Bravado reeled in La Foret to win by a neck with Fastnet Rock’s War Memorial two and a quarter lengths back in third.
“He did a good job because they didn’t seem to go that hard,” Charlton said.
“Credit to Brenton he got on his bike early and he picked up well.
“He is a lazy laid-back horse, which is probably a good thing because whatever you ask him he always does. Race conditions woke him up a bit and when he hit the line he pricked his ears and I would say that is a good sign.
“He is a horse that carries a lot of condition. He is a very good doer and I thought he would benefit from the run, but he will definitely get 1400m or a mile in time.”
An $80,000 purchase by Champion Thoroughbreds out of the Fernrigg Farm draft at the 2019 Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale, Bravado is the first foal of the very talented Lookin At Lucky (USA) mare Chabaud whose four wins included the Group III South Australian Fillies Classic and the Listed Tasmanian Oaks.
Purchased by Matchem Racing for $140,000 at the 2014 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Chabaud is out of the stakes-placed Fastnet Rock mare rockadubai who is a three-quarter sister to the triple Group 1 winner Sea Siren and a half-sister to Lady Dehere, Oratorio and Discorsi.
Swettenham Stud shuttler Toronado (IRE) has compiled an enviable strike rate. He trails only Deep Field and Better Than Ready for leading second crop sires of season for individual winners.
The son of High Chaparral (IRE) will stand for a fee of $27,500 in 2020.
