Justify (USA) gave us a One to Watch on Wednesday when this exciting three year-old filly made it two wins in as many starts at Sandown after coming back from a serious illness that left her a ‘skeleton’ to strike winning form.
Trained by Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr, Bronte Beach made a winning debut at Pakenham last November and has been on ice since then and reappeared as favourite in a Benchmark 64 event over 1400m with Ethan Brown to ride.
She overcame some issues in the run to score a tenacious head win in a driving finish and was doing her best work on the line.
“I think we saw a lot of intestinal fortitude coming through there later,” said Michael Kent Jr.
“Nothing really went right. Ethan had planned to sort of roll forward and pop in, but there was a bunch of fillies there early and clearly no room for him to slot in.
“He was three wide with cover… good. But I noticed on the bend there, she's on a wrong lead and she's like a big, awkward baby giraffe.
“You know, she's got these massive legs with big hocks and she took a while to get organized there. She easily could have shirked the task when McEvoy's much more experienced filly, levelled up outside of her, but to dig in late was really good.
“She’s exciting, but we won't get ahead of ourselves yet. We're looking forward to a mile with her in time.
“She's by Justify, but has that bit of pace on the dam side, so I think the mile will be a lovely trip for her.
“We’ve had to be a bit patient with her, she's all legs. I should say thank you to the team at South Eastern Equine, she had a bad infection in her hind, suspensory ligament and that could have been nasty and they got her back. She was a skeleton at one point and has now doubled in size, so it's been a good journey.”
A $200,000 Inglis Classic purchase for her trainers from the Ridgmont Farm draft, Bronte Beach was a successful pinhook having been sourced from the Newgate Farm draft for $75,000 at the Inglis Weanling Sale by James Bester Bloodstock / Ridgmont Farm.
Bronte Beach is the second winner from Bronte, a placed half-sister by Wandjina to Group III winner Jazz Song from Group I winner Absolut Glam.
