A narrow second two starts back in the Listed Hinkler Handicap before beaten less than three lengths in the Listed Glasshouse Handicap, Matthew Dunn’s Omaha Beach (USA) gelding Band Of Brothers recorded his second black type victory, winning the $200,000 Listed Ramornie Handicap (1200m) at Grafton.
Sent off favourite in the 15-strong field, and one of just three under double figure odds, jockey Dylan Turner took the 4yo forward to task up the lead from barrier 6.
Sitting in second was the Brett Dodson trained My Mum’s Toy Boy while Peter Snowden’s Fire Star was one of the first to make a run as jockey Andrew Adkins asked the son of Deep Field for an effort before the home turn.
With Band Of Brothers cornering in front, Fire Star was ambling up on his outside putting himself into a challenging position while Givemethebeatboys (IRE) and Pereille were both looking ominous down the outside.
As Fire Star began to weaken, Band Of Brothers kicked strongly in the run to the line, holding a little over a length margin from Tony Gollan’s Pereille who charged late with Givemethebeatboys holding on for third.
“It's the first time we've been able to get one of the two big ones here with the (Grafton) Cup or the Ramornie,” said Dunn.
“We went to the Glasshouse second-up and he was a little bit disappointing, but he probably got into the wrong part of the track from the wide gate.
“He improved today and when he finds himself in front, he really fights and they had their opportunity to get to him a few times in the straight but he really dug deep."
“He's a great horse. All surfaces it doesn't matter with him being wet, dry or heavy so I'm just really stoked.”
Taking his record to five wins and eight placed efforts from 20 starts with earnings of $629,7000, the Hesket Bloodstock bred and raced Band Of Brothers has always shown promise, winning the G3 Vain Stakes earlier in his career.
Band Of Brothers is one of two winners from three to the races out of the Medaglia D'Oro mare Medgrinda, a daughter of G3 winner Kulgrinda (Exceed And Excel), herself a three-quarter sister to Vinery Stud's Headwater.
Medgrinda has an unraced 2yo Gold Standard filly named Secret Crossing, followed by not being covered the following year before slipping the year after. The mare was covered by Coolmore’s four-time G1-winning Justify (USA) stallion City Of Troy (USA) in the spring.
Having shuttled to Australia for two seasons, Omaha Beach’s lone Australian stakes winner is Band Of Brothers while the son of War Front (USA) has sired a further 29 stakes winners internationally and stood at a fee of US$75,000 in his most recent season at Spendthrift Farm in the USA.
