Brave Smash (Jpn) 3YO gelding Brave Monarch showed he can be a force to be reckoned with at the upcoming Brisbane Winter Carnival when scoring a dominant win in the $160,000 Listed BRC Daybreak Lover (1400m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Trained by Chris and Corey Munce, Brave Monarch won three of his first four starts last year and was a close fourth at Eagle Farm when resuming from a spell two weeks ago.
Ridden by Martin Harley, Brave Monarch travelled deep and covered ground all the way before powering to the line to win by more than two lengths in a thoroughly impressive performance.
"His first-up run had a lot of merit today but his next run (Queensland Guineas) will be when it counts," said Corey Munce.
"I did have a slight worry when he was three-deep, but he had cover and he just presented at the right time.
"He's such a cool little dude and he's pretty straightforward. He was getting a little warm as he pranced out onto the course proper but so were a lot of the other horses.
"I've got no doubt he's improved in the coat and we saw that today."
A $20,000 Inglis Classic purchase for Hancox Bloodstock from the Yulong draft, Brave Monarch has proven a terrific investment for his big ownership group banking nearly $290,000 with four wins from six starts!
He now has bigger fish to fry and the $3million Group I BRC Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) on June 13 might be the agenda according to his jockey Martin Harley..
"It's not completely out of the question," Harley said about
"The way he trialled in his first trial back this season (on March 7), I think it was 840m, he gave me an unbelievable feel.
"First run back was OK but he peaked on his run a little bit in the last 100m and he showed today that he obviously did because he got there way too soon but he kept going beautifully.
"The Stradbroke wouldn't be out of the question, but we'll try and get the Queensland Guineas in between."
Bred by Yulong, he is one the best of four winners from Puppet Queen (USA), an unraced half-sister by Kingmambo to Group I winners Vengeance of Rain and Dizelle from Group I winner Danelagh.
Puppet Queen had a filly by Yulong sire Diatonic (Jpn) last spring and is back in foal to him again.
Brave Monarch is the fifth stakes-winner for Brave Smash, whose current yearlings are the first crop of foals conceived at Yarraman Park.
Brave Smash will stand at a fee of $22,000 this spring.
