Brando Sets Up Tilt At Nunthorpe After Thrilling Group Win

Brando has been labelled as “The Tank From The Bank” by travelling head groom Mel and he certainly looked that way as he secured his first group win in the Coral Charge at Sandown. The fast improving sprinter has gone from strength to strength this year and blew away his rivals in the group 3 event before battling on to win in a thrilling finish. 

Anyone who has seen him in the flesh can understand why he has been called the “Tank” with his powerful frame. He has been that way since Kevin secured the son of Pivotal from the breeze ups and he is now paying back the £120,000 that Peter Tingey and Angie Bailey laid out for him. Strong and powerful but also quite a raw horse, Brando has been a bit of a slow burner but there is definitely nothing slow about him now and he announced himself as a sprinter to follow. 

It took Brando until his 3 year old season to get off the mark in a 6f maiden. Only two more runs followed that and it was his impressive victory at Haydock that really got connections excited. Everyone knew they had a season to look forward to but nobody could imagine Brando would improve through the ranks this rapidly. 

His seasonal return came at Newmarket, with a drop in trip to 5f on rain softened ground. Off a mark of 88, which now looks very reasonable, Brando blitzed his rivals with ease and set himself up for a tilt at bigger and better targets. Pete and Ange love York and it was there that was the next port of call. Brando’s impressive win meant he was struck with a 9lb rise but it did not stop him. Having missed that break, Jamie then spent the first 100 yards getting his foot back his iron. The “Tank” was stuck at the back of the 17 strong field, racing on the worse part of the track (there was a big draw bias all meeting). Looking as though a mid division run would be very respectable, he began to pick up and weave through the field. In the final furlong Brando ate up the ground and narrowly missed out by just 3/4 length. It was a great effort and one that caught everyone’s eye, especially the handicapper who added a further 4lb on to his mark. 

With Brando going into many notebooks he was now being aimed at one place, Royal Ascot. His new mark of 101 guaranteed his place in the Wokingham and he was backed ante-post to the 7-1fav. Confidence was high but it was going to take another career best. He had a new partner with Tom Eaves taking the ride, but the pair gelled straight away. Travelling like a dream throughout the 6f contest Brando was cruising to the 2f pole. Unfortunately his group began to struggle and Tom found himself with nothing to run with. Their hand was played and so Brando had to go for home on his own. He kicked clear but the race developed stands side and the eventual winner Outback Traveller came storming through. In the final 1/2 furlong Brando met his foe and began to get back on top but the Ascot winning line just came too soon. There was a mixture of delight and devastation but Brando had once again taken another huge step forward. This time the handicapper gave him another 6lb which meant that his handicapping days may well be behind him. 

Royal Ascot can take a lot out of a horse but Brando was bouncing as soon as he arrived home. This led Kevin to take a look at some group options with the Coral Charge looking the right target, despite only being 2 weeks later. The stiff 5f and current weather conditions ticked all the boxes for Brando and so Kevin sent him to Sandown full of confidence and the punters soon latched on too, sending him off as 2-1fav. 

Group races are never easy but when the declarations came out it looked as though Brando may well be the one to beat, despite never competing at the level before. Tom was again booked for the ride, looking to avenge their near miss at Ascot. Over 5f at Sandown it looked as though the race may be run to suit with plenty of early pace and something to aim at late on. This had been his downfall at Ascot and Tom was wary of such tactics occurring again.

When the stalls opened there was a lightning start as all the sprinters knew what to do. Surprisingly Brando almost jumped the best of the lot and was one of the first into stride, pulling himself to sit second. Tom got the lead he wanted as the pair tracked over to rail and the very fast, Lancelot Du Lac towed the field along through the early stages. It was a frantic pace, as expected, but Brando was straight into his rhythm and was handling group company with no bother at all. 

Sandown is a very quick track but the final furlong takes a lot of getting and with the softer ground you could sense the jockeys all wary of the test that lay ahead. Brando was always in an ideal position and he was tanking along with Tom pulling double. Due to the slight camber and undulations, the field had all tracked across to the rail and they were in a line 2 to 3 horses wide. The leader was at full pace and really took his rivals along at great speed but Brando was forcing the issue. 

If you blinked you would have missed the first half of the race and Lancelot Du Lac ensured they met the halfway point in a rapid time. Brando was cruising by halfway and suddenly found himself moving closer and closer to the front. The leader was beginning to struggle and one by one the runners in behind started to come off the bridle. Tom was still holding a double handful and Brando was absolutely cantering. There was a sense of Deja Vu as Brando began to creep ahead of the leader and found himself left in front. Yet to move, Tom was beginning to get to a situation he didn’t really want to be in. Brando started to pull clear, stretching to a 2 1/2 length clear, still hard on the bridle and seemingly cantering. 

Decision time was soon coming with Tom looking round, unable to believe he was going so well. The pair were well inside the 2f marker and Tom now had to go, keep the momentum up and hope his mount would go along with him. Brando was a willing partner and as they moved past the 1f pole, the pair had stretched to a 3 length lead. The race looked over but then there was the rising ground to take into account. Only one of his rivals, Monsieur Joe, was making any headway but surely it was too late. 

People can question a horse’s attitude but when they have been out in front so long, 9 times out of 10 they will start to get lonely. This loneliness started to get to Brando and although Tom was still giving his all, his partner just began to pull up a little. Monsieur Joe was in full swing now and he was eating up the ground. Surely it wasn’t going to happen, but which would come first, the line or Joe. Tom asked for everything and the finish was edging ever closer but so too was his nearest rival. Monsieur Joe gave one late thrust but Brando’s early work had proved enough and he stuck his big Chestnut head out to win by a short head. 

Brando battling hard to repel the fast finishing Monsieur Joe

There are very few things that can give conciliation for a Royal Ascot defeat but a group win definitely eases the pain. Owners Pete and Ange have really been great supporters of the yard and they have had some top sprinters in the last few years. Unfortunately their best, Astaire, passed away before reaching his peak and can never be replaced but Brando can hopefully fill the void that he left.

Crossing the line to secure his first win in group company

It was a very impressive display from Brando and he did deserve to win with a bit more in hand. Unfortunately the race did not go to plan but that was due to Brando’s class as there was nothing good enough to lead him. He quickened from the 3f to 2f marker and did it with ease which was the most impressive factor. With this performance he has well and truly put his handicapping days behind him and with just 12 runs to his name there is no reason to think that there isn’t more to come. Everyone loves a York winner and that will be his next assignment with the Group 1 Nunthorpe  stakes the race. Nobody knows how far he can go but he continues to improve and there are no signs to say he is anywhere near stopping. 

It was also a great result for Tom Eaves who is engaged to Kevin’s daughter Amy. He has long been one of the top northern jockeys but has had limited chances at the top level. He showed his talent when partnering Tangerine Trees to Group 1 success and has shown all this season he is a jockey to follow. One of the hardest working jockeys Tom definitely deserves 

Photos courtesy of – www.louisepollard.co.uk