Briasa impresses with TJ Stakes victory
Briasa’s coronation as a bona fide star of the Australian sprinting scene came at Randwick on Saturday when the untapped four-year-old won the $3 million TJ Smith Stakes.
The Michael, Wayne and John Hawkes-trained gelding landed a maiden Group 1 win at just his ninth start as he scored under Tyler Schiller.
The success was the seventh of Briasa’s career, which only started in a Kembla Grange maiden on March 5 last year, and Michael Hawkes said he knew before then that he was something special.
“I’ve just loved him from day one,” he said.
“I’m just lost for words. This is the moment that we dream of with a horse like this. We’ve had our ups and downs, we’re not big anymore but we’ve got quality.”
Briasa’s victory atoned for a hard-luck fourth placing in the The Galaxy (Gr 1, 1100m) last start, when he flashed home from last.
Schiller had him in a much more prominent position from a softer draw in barrier three at his first try at weight-for-age, and the winning rider said the ability to settle closer was significant.
“It makes a difference when you draw a barrier and he’s probably missing one first-up but second-up it’s great to get a barrier,” the winning rider said.
“Randwick is more forgiving, and he’s just a very good horse. The Hawkes team have maintained him perfectly, they know how to win this race, especially with a grey, I still don’t know his ceiling but he’s got oodles of talent.”
Briasa’s victory was the Hawkes team’s fourth in the TJ Smith, with the other three all registered by ‘The Grey Flash’ Chautauqua (Encosta De Lago) from 2015-17.