Prepared by Team Hawkes, Brutal has been set specifically for the Doncaster this preparation and that plan came together perfectly when he powered to the line to score a length victory over Dreamforce and Hartnell.
Carrying just 49.5kg and ridden by renowned big race order Glen Boss, Brutal made light of an outside gate to win with authority.Now based in Singapore, Boss worked hard to get down to 49.5kg to ride the son of O'Reilly in the Doncaster, but the effort produced a huge dividend.
Brutal's win gave Boss his seventh Doncaster Mile win in an effort which began with victory aboard the Gai Waterhouse-trained Sprint By in 1996.
"The race was controlled from the front," Boss said.
"I just let him do what he wanted. When you sit outside the leader you control the speed. We never gave those behind a chance. Tactically he was perfect."
Boss said the win on the Hawkes Racing-trained Brutal showed he could still mix it in the top races in Australia.
"I've got grey hair and not much left, but I've still got the passion to go the hard yards to do this thing," Boss said."To get down to the 49.5kg shows I've still got the drive to test myself. Victories like this make it all worthwhile."
A $220,000 NZB Premier purchase from the Mapperley Stud draft for Hawkes Racing, Brutal has won four of seven starts earning over $2.2 million in prizemoney.
A full brother to stakes-winner Talaria, Brutal is the best of four winners from stakes-placed Golan (IRE) mare Alberton Princess who is a three-quarter-sister to Group III ARC Eclipse Stakes winner Lady Alberton and a half-sister to Group II Matamata Breeders' Stakes winner Te Akau Rose and to the stakes-placed Dancing Bridges(the dam of stakes-winner Testarhythm) and to Alberton Rose (the dam of Group III winner Cavalry Rose).
Alberton Princess was sold for $75,000 at the 2016 National Weanling, Broodmare & Mixed Bloodstock Sale when carrying a Sacred Falls colt.
That colt was sold to David Ellis for $170,000 at last year's yearling sale at Karaka.
Alberton Princess has a yearling colt by Ocean Park that passed in at Karaka this year and was served by the Cox Plate-winning son of Thorn Park again last season.
Brutal is one of 76 live foals from the 18th and final crop of the Waikato Stud stalwart O'Reilly who died on the final day of 2014. Brutal is his 14th Group I winner.
.@HawkesRacing's Brutal with Glen Boss aboard has landed the prize in the Doncaster Mile at The @Championshipsrr@royalrandwick. pic.twitter.com/6O9gxZnR61
— Sky Racing (@SkyRacingAU) April 6, 2019
