Despite facing formidable opposition from leading juvenile stables and elite bloodstock, trainer Ben Brisbourne remains unconcerned heading into Tuesday’s Maribyrnong Plate.
The young English handler will saddle two contenders in the $240,000 Group 3 race that commences the Melbourne Cup Day program.
Lumineux and Rain Bender represent Brisbourne in a field that includes highly-rated colts such as the $1.1 million Anamoe colt Amsterdam, prepared by Ciaron Maher, and the Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained duo Royal Press and Jetsetter, along with Lindsay Park’s La La Lilly and Funded from Anthony and Sam Freedman’s stable.
It was not a meticulously planned strategy by Brisbourne to field multiple runners in one of Victoria’s premier early-season two-year-old contests. However, he stated that both horses have met all the educational benchmarks set for them and have rightfully earned their places.
“These were just a couple that have been in the system, ticked every box that we put in front of them and there’s been no reason to put them out,” he said.
“There are not many two-year-old races around, so they find their way into the Maribyrnong Plate.”
Lumineux, a gelding by the South Australian sire Strasbourg, triumphed in an 800m jumpout on October 9, a heat that also featured La La Lilly. He later finished a close second to Jetsetter in another workout two weeks on.
Rain Bender, one of the few progeny of Villermont, demonstrated impressive speed to secure victories in both her trials, first at Wangaratta on October 7 and then at Flemington on October 23.
Brisbourne’s pair are currently the outsiders in the race, with Rain Bender listed at $19 and Lumineux at $26. Nevertheless, the trainer anticipates they will perform better than their odds suggest.
“I thought the filly jumped out extremely well and I thought she’d come up a lot shorter in the market than she is,” he said.
“The gelding, he’s been pretty faultless. He’s a very tradesmanlike horse, you wouldn’t really know what’s under the hood until you really put him under pressure.
“They’re both nice horses that will win races and we look forward to starting them off here at Headquarters.”
Champion jockey Craig Williams has been engaged to ride Lumineux, who is set to start from barrier six in the nine-horse field. Rain Bender will commence from the adjacent stall, with Lachlan King in the saddle.
For those looking to get involved, consider exploring the available Australian betting sites to back your selections.