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LEADING Kembla Grange trainers Rob and Luke Price had never trained a horse for Australian Bloodstock until they bought a yearling bred by the leading Hunter syndicators. That was at the Magic Millions sale at the Gold Coast last year when they paid $180,000 for a youngster by AB’S dual Group 1 winner and 2017 The Everest placegetter Brave Smash from the Street Cry mare Trick. Even then, the Price boys probably didn’t even expect their purchase would race in the Australian Bloodstock colours. He does, and at Kembla Grange on Saturday broke through for his first win in the $60,000 2YO Super Maiden Handicap (1400m). With Robbie Downey aboard, Smashing Time ($3.80) at only his second start defeated $2.25 favorite Media World and Interjection ($3.70). He had finished third on debut at $61 on the Kensington track over 1100m on March 27.

KRIS Lees will have a third shot at winning regional Queensland’s richest race at Rockhampton on Sunday week. Lees confirmed Ucalledit will be his representative in the $775,000 The Archer (1300m) at Callaghan Park, filling the last spot in the 12-horse field. The Archer, introduced in 2022, is run along similar lines to The Everest – and also run at weight-for-age. Ucalledit (61kg) was one of three Lees’ nominations for Saturday’s Benchmark 100 Handicap (1400m) at Royal Randwick – Kinloch (58kg) and Razeta (54kg) were the others – but will not be an acceptor. “He will go to our Gold Coast stable later this week, and then go on to Rockhampton next week,” Lees said. “Australian Bloodstock was keen to have a runner in the race. “At this stage, we haven’t confirmed a rider for Ucalledit.” Hunter syndicators Australian Bloodstock share a slot in The Archer with Rockhampton couple Ron and Jill Milne. Lees has had two runners in each of both runnings of The Archer. Gem Song (fifth) and Ventura Ocean (seventh) ran in Emerald Kingdom’s inaugural 2022 race, and Animate (sixth) and Gem Song (ninth) ran last year when Gold Coast-trained Alpine Edge beat the now retired Emerald Kingdom. Former New Zealander Ucalledit, who has won 10 of his 30 starts, has never raced on Rockhampton’s spacious track, but is no stranger to Queensland. He won three races in a row there toward the end of 2022, culminating with the Listed Lough Neagh Stakes (1400m) at Eagle Farm. The six-year-old gelding last winter won two 1400m Listed races at Royal Randwick – the Civic Stakes and Winter Stakes.

HORSE CONNECTIONS AND THE HAIL MARY GAMBLE

While the future of Australian Bloodstock's flagship stayer Gold Trip is still being assessed, Jamie Lovett is eagerly awaiting Saturday's Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m) at Randwick with star staying pair Ashrun and Glentaneous. Lovett said Gold Trip is still being rehabbed under the careful tuition of Ciaron Maher and a decision on his future will be made in the next month after the 2022 Melbourne Cup winner suffered a tendon injury in mid-March when he was being prepared for the Australian Cup. According to Lovett, Australian Bloodstock has 'two live chances' in the Sydney Cup in the form of the recent Pakenham Cup quinella. Maher-trained Ashrun subsequently finished third in the G1 Tancred Stakes at Rosehill on March 30, while Glentaneous finished sixth in the Roy Higgins Quality at Flemington on the same afternoon.  Ashrun returned to racing last spring after being out for three years and he showed his talent with a fourth placing in the Melbourne Cup, with Lovett saying he had held that form and the camp is very pleased with his Tancred run. "He came out of the Tancred run without a problem and he'll go to the Sydney Cup and Craig Williams will ride," Lovett said. "It's been an amazing comeback supervised by Ciaron and he's a proven two-miler. He and More Felons deserve to be the two favourites."

Budding star sprinter Brave Mead has been euthanised after suffering a 'catastrophic' injury at trackwork in Sydney on Tuesday. The last-start Listed Darby Munro Stakes winner was being prepared for Saturday's Group 2 Arrowfield 3YO Sprint (1200m) at Randwick when the incident occurred. "He had a catastrophic injury this morning and he's been euthanised," confirmed a devastated Jamie Lovett from Australian Bloodstock. "He shattered a sesamoid bone. He's been a fantastic horse for his owners and a really good advertisement for the stallion (Brave Smash). It's just terrible news." Brave Mead had won five of his 12 starts for earnings of almost $700,000. He was a Listed juvenile winner of the St Albans Stakes (1200m) at The Valley and as a three-year-old added the G3 Manfred Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield and the Listed Darby Munro to his record. Andrew Eddy https://www.racing.com/news/2024-04-09/news-contenders-vale-brave-mead