He wasn’t the most expensive yearling purchase, but Shamus Award gelding Brutality ($5) has matched it with some better bred campaigners by taking out the $750,000 Villiers Stakes at Royal Randwick.
The five-year-old prevailed over Ellsberg ($6) by a short neck, with Criaderas ($11) a fast finishing third a further half length back.
A $40,000 purchase at the 2018 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, Brutality has now amassed more than $800,000 in earnings for connections and has a Group 2 victory on his resume.
Trainer Joseph Pride had prepared his galloper to the minute, putting plenty of miles in his legs in the lead up to feature Randwick mile, and believes it was the secret to the win.
“That was a fantastic result and the three weeks in a row was obviously the key to this horse getting to this race in peak fitness,” Pride said.
“He’s not a robust horse, he just needs racing to settle and he settled today.”
The victory now qualifies Brutality for the Doncaster on Day 1 of The Championships on April 2 2022.
“It’s a fantastic result, a big effort from the team at home to get him here at his peak today, and yeah he gets a spot in the Doncaster. He’d need a wet track to be really effective in it.” Pride said.
With stablemate Private Eye winning the Group 1 Epsom earlier in the year, and the feats of star sprinter Eduardo, Pride is aware of the exploits that his team has achieved.
“We don’t usually measure the year that way, but it has been a fantastic 12 months,” Pride said.
“Great support from my owners and a lot of hard work from my team and it culminates into a day like this. It’s just great to be a part of.”
Jockey Regan Bayliss was complimentary of his trainer’s efforts and was impressed with Brutality’s intestinal fortitude.
“He’s had the perfect preparation, he really enjoys the back-up this horse,” Bayliss said.
“Trained by the master Joe Pride, he knows how to get them peaking on the big occasion.”