Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars) could finish the year as the fourth Australasian horse to top A$20 million in career prizemoney, with connections to decide on a year-ending trip to Perth for the A$1.5m Gr.3 Gold Rush (1400m) in December.
Mr Brightside has in recent days firmed from an opening quote of $11 down to $2.70 for the Gold Rush and co-trainer Ben Hayes on Saturday confirmed the star eight-year-old is a chance to make the trip west for a number of reasons.
He said the December 15 Gold Rush will suit Mr Brightside, as he could stay in training and be ready for the early weight-for-age features such as the Gr.1 Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.
“There was just the thinking that they’ve moved the Orr (Stakes) to a back-up after the Champions Mile and we just think his prep in the autumn there’s only the Futurity (1400m) or All-Star Mile (1600m) and then you either go out to 2000m or you go to Sydney where he would carry a big weight in the Doncaster,” Hayes said. “So, we are leaving it (Gold Rush) open but we are not 100 per cent committed.”
A last-start runner-up of the Gr.1 King Charles III (1600m) at Randwick, Mr Brightside has now earned $18.8m in prizemoney to sit fourth on the all-time list and third-placed Nature Strip ($20.76m) is now also coming into view. Victory in the Champions Mile would see him pass $20m and a cheque in Perth would move him beyond Nature Strip.
Hayes said if the team doesn’t send Mr Brightside to Perth, they would face another decision about backing the horse up from the Champions Mile to the Gr.1 Orr Stakes (1400m) in seven days.
“We’ve never backed him up so we’re thinking we could go five weeks into the Gold Rush and you always keep horses ticking over from spring to autumn anyway, so it’s a good opportunity to keep his fitness up and hit the Futurity really fit,” he said.
“There’s a lot of water to go under the bridge and he needs to run well in the Champions Mile and there’s also the option of backing him up in the Orr. We need to speak to the owners and see how the horse is.”
Hayes said he is not bothered with the trip to Perth potentially having an impact on the horse’s early autumn.
“It (travel) brings horses on,” he said. “You can argue his trip to Hong Kong (last December) improved him as he’s come back in career-best form, he’s been running super.”