Racing
Briasa is back with brilliant trial win
The "Grey Flash" Briasa gave a timely reminder of his outstanding sprinting ability with a very easy barrier trial win at Warwick Farm on Monday morning.
Briasa, trained by Michael, Wayne and John Hawkes, was kept under a tight rein by jockey Tyler Schiller but still led throughout his 822m heat to win by two lengths in 49.45s including a final 600m sectional of 34.01s.
Team Hawkes has indicated it will follow the successful path Briasa blazed last autumn with the five-year-old gelding to resume in the Group 1 $1 million The Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 21.
Briasa will then attempt to defend his title in the Group 1 $3 million TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on Day One of The Championships at Royal Randwick on April 4.
In latest betting for the TJ Smith, Briasa is at $11 behind Godolphin colt Tentyris at $3.50.
Although Briasa ran unplaced in The Everest and Russell Balding Stakes to closes out his spring campaign, he did win the Group 2 Premiere Stakes and boasts aTimeform
rating of 124 which has him ranked among the nation's elite sprinters.
Bott said Vauban is on target to resume in the Group 3 $350,000 Sky High Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill on March 14 and then go second-up into the Group 1 $1.5 million Tancred Stakes (2400m) at the same track on March 28.
Vauban is currently rated equal second favourite for the Tancred at $6 with stablemate Sir Delius behind English star Dubai Honour at $2.80 with the latter still to travel to Sydney due to the Middle East conflict.
Stardom, a stablemate of Vauban, won her 822m trial in a slick 48.81s as Joe Pride's $10 million earner Mazu was a close third and Team Hawkes' talented mare Gangsta Granny wasn't pressured to finish alongside the minor placegetter.
Team Hawkes' promising three-year-old Gallo Nero also impressed with his stylish trial win over 822m in a fast 48.75s.
