Brutal (NZ) Makes Winning Return

In his first start since winning the A$3 million Group 1 Doncaster (1600m) in April, Karaka graduate Brutal (NZ) (O’Reilly) scored a strong win in Saturday’s A$500,000 Group 2 Bisley Workwear Premiere Stakes (1200m) at Randwick.

With Tommy Berry in the saddle for the Hawkes stable, Brutal looked beaten but fought back tenaciously to win the sprint feature by a long neck from Home of the Brave (Starspangledbanner) and the highly rated Classique Legend (Not a Single Doubt).

Bought for $220,000 at the 2017 Premier Sale, Brutal has now had eight starts for five wins and two placings. He has earned more than A$2.5 million in stakes – more than 11 times his purchase price.

“He is just an absolute magnificent colt,” Michael Hawkes said. “I said to the owners today he is first-up, he has a long way to go - if he beats them today he is the real, real deal. He is just a pure athlete. He was there to be beaten. Tommy rode him good, did everything right, he’s a superstar.

“He was a Doncaster winner at his seventh start, and he’s beaten the so-called best sprinters in the land at the moment.”

Berry was similarly impressed with his mount’s performance.

“I trialled him the other day and I said he’s more forward than we think,” he said. “He looks big in condition, and he’s had a good blow today, it was a tough test on a soft track, but there is no nonsense about him he fights hard. When the challengers came, he was there for me. Full credit to the Hawkes Team. They are patient with their horses and they get the results.

“Draws don’t really matter with him too much. He’s got great gate speed, but he’s not one you want to bustle out of the barriers, he’s a horse you have to let find his feet and get into a nice rhythm.

“That was pretty easy work for me. There’s a great bunch of owners in him, I know Newgate have bought into him, and exciting times ahead for him when he goes to stud.”

Brutal was bred by Ruth Kerr-Taylor and Ann Storey, and he was offered in Mapperley Stud’s draft at the 2017 Premier Sale.