Sunshine Coast based jockey Damian Browne has secured the ride on the odds on favourite Impending in the Group 2 $200,000 Hiflow Industries Victory Stakes (1200m) at Doomben on Saturday.
Damian Browne will ride Impending, above, in the 2018 Victory Stakes at Doomben. Photo by Steve Hart.
Browne will wear the royal blue colours of the Godolphin stable when he teams up trainer James Cummings and last year’s Stradbroke Handicap winner Impending.
The Lonhro stallion returnes to Brisbane after claiming last year’s Group 1 $1.5m Stradbroke Handicap (1350m) at Doomben when Darren Beadman was in charge of the Godolphin Team.
Browne is over the moon to kick off the Brisbane Winter Carnival on a short priced favourite and said he had struck up an association with Cummings in the previous years.
“I won on Good Standing for James last year at the carnival,” Browne told The Courier-Mail.
“I did a bit of riding for them when I went down to Sydney to ride for the Snowdens when most of the boys were in Melbourne for the spring carnival. Fortunately enough, I’ve ridden for them when they’ve sent the odd one up and having a bit of luck.
“They have the quality horses. If you’re able to get on them, it’s a big advantage.”
Impending has only raced twice since his Stradbroke Handicap victory and was placed on both occasions during the 2017 Spring Carnival.
A close second to Group 1 winner In Her Time in the Listed $500,000 Sydney Stakes (1200m) at Randwick was followed by a third behind Redzel and Terravista in the Group 1 $1m Darley Classic (1200m) at Flemington on the final day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival.
Cummings has given Impending one official barrier trial for a sixth over 807m at Warwick Farm on April 9 in preparation for is return to the track and Browne said the stable was happy with the effort.
“By all reports, he looks to be going very well,” Browne said.
“He’s probably the class horse of the race and he’s a good one to be getting on.”
Impending will jump from barrier two in the field that has been reduced to eight runners with the early scratching of Manaya and has been installed as the $1.85 favourite at Ladbrokes.com.au.
On the second line of betting at $3.70 is the Melbourne sprinter Supido who has drawn next to Impending at barrier three with Brisbane’s leading jockey Jeff Lloyd booked to ride.
The Mick Kent trained Supido is coming off a 2018 Melbourne Autumn Carnival campaign where the six year old finished just behind the placegetters in three Group 1 appearances, a fourth in the $750,000 Black Caviar Lightning (1000m) and a fifth in the $1.25m Lexus Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington followed by a fourth in $500,000 Keogh Homes William Reid Stakes (1200m) at The Valley.
The post Browne hoping for Victory on Impending in Winter Carnival Opener appeared first on HorseRacing.com.au.