A stakes-winner last season at two, Brave Smash (Jpn) colt Brave Mead would have been a certainty beaten if he had gotten rolled at Caulfield on Saturday, but he managed to get clear running at just the right time and hit the line hard for Mark Zahra to snatch a well-deserved win.
Sent out favourite for the 1400m 3YO handicap, the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace trained colt was having his third run back from a spell following a third and a second in good company and enjoyed the step up to 1400m to score by the bets part of a length over The Instructor, who was also a juvenile stakes-winner last season.
Brav
e Mead runs in the Australian Bloodstock colours and with three wins and three placings has won over $260,000 in prizemoney with the Flemington Carnival likely to be his next target.
“He was travelling well and he just needed that out,” said Ciaron Maher.
“He’ll probably line up at the Flemington Carnival and I’ll see what Mark (Zahra) thinks as to whether he could get a mile as the Carbine Club (G3) might be an option, although he has plenty of options.”
A $90,000 purchase for Ciaron Maher Racing when offered by Lustre Lodge at the 2021 Inglis July (Early) Online Sale, Brave Mead is a half-brother to Listed Geelong Classic winner Solemn, stakes-placed Honeywine and t the dam of last week’s Group III ATC Gloaming Stakes winner Raf Attack.
Bred by A B Breeding Venture, Brave Mead is the seventh winner from the nine to race for the Galileo mare Mead, a half-sister to Group I Australasian Oaks winner La Volta and dual Listed winner Terevega with the family also producing Group MRC Caulfield Guineas winner Mighty Boss.
Brave Mead looks a bright prospect for further stakes success this season and can keep his Yarraman Park based sire Brave Smash in the spotlight.
