Brave Ali has given trainer Tony Gollan a feature race double courtesy of a bold front-running ride from apprentice Tegan Harrison in the Listed Ipswich Cup.
The seven-year-old Brave Ali’s win in Saturday’s 2150m Cup followed the victory of stablemate Alma’s Fury in the Listed Eye Liner Stakes (1350m) with Jim Byrne on board.
Gollan, who is a big supporter of Harrison, was delighted to see her win the Cup.
Brave Ali ($7.50) scored by a length over the fast-finishing Noisy Ocean ($14) with Grey Assignment ($9.50) a long head third.
Brisbane’s leading trainer Gollan said Harrison would be playing a major role in his stable plans for the next 12 months.
“I said I would support her when she lost her allowance and she has repaid that faith. She really rides with skill and horses run for her. She is a major asset,” Gollan said.
Harrison outrode her allowance with her 80th winner earlier this year and with Gollan and other top trainers sticking by her, she has gone from strength to strength.
She won the Group Two Victory Stakes on Temple Of Boom in April and then rode the horse into second place in the Group One Stradbroke Hcp (1400) last week.
Harrison has a great record on Brave Ali having steered the front runner on five occasions for four wins and a third and is flattered to be riding for trainers like Gollan.
“His horses are always well turned out and it is a big start. Brave Ali loves to roll along and that is the way we planned to ride him today,” Harrison said.
Gollan has opened a big lead in the Brisbane trainers’ premiership with his double taking him to 48 city wins for the season.
Brave Ali came to Gollan after he scored at Doomben in late March.
“Craig Martin trained him in Tamworth and left him with me after the Doomben win. I said to him that Brave Ali had won by three lengths and could only go backwards,” he said.
“But we have just kept the horse happy and he has done the rest.”
Nevertheless it was a great training performance from Gollan because Brave Ali was having his first start in five weeks.
“We just kept ticking him over on the track and I felt he would run a good race if he had any luck today,” Gollan said.
Brave Ali will now head to the Grafton Cup (2200m) on July 10.
Noisy Ocean ($14) finished fast to get second in the Ipswich Cup after giving the winner a big start at the turn.
Grey Assignment ($9.50) matched strides with Brave Ali for much of the race and only faded in the final 50m to finish third.
Sydney galloper Ironstein ran on for fourth but jockey Jason Taylor said the horse’s big weight had told in the final stages.