Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Lara Brennan is happy that she heeded some wise advice from fellow-trainer Michael Young which resulted in her landing her first metropolitan-class winner when veteran pacer Triroyale Brigade proved too strong for his eleven younger rivals in the Westside Auto 24/7 Online Enquiry Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Stuart McDonald got Triroyale Brigade, the $3.70 second favourite, away smartly from the No. 4 barrier and the ten-year-old New Zealand-bred gelding dashed to the front after 270m before setting a solid pace and winning by a half-length from $51 outsider Pocketful Of Opals.
“I’ve had Triroyale Brigade since early last September,” said Brennan. “He was advertised for sale, and Michael Young recommended that I buy him, and I got him for $4000.”
Triroyale Brigade is now raced by Brennan in partnership with her daughter Riley, her nephew Michael Grantham and Riley’s partner Archie Sinfield. The old gelding won first-up for Brennan when he finished strongly to beat Here Comes Sharkie at Gloucester Park on New Year’s Eve, and he now has had eight starts for his new connections for two wins, three seconds and two thirds for stakes of $18,428.
Brennan (49) has made an excellent start to her career as a trainer, with her first 23 starters producing five wins and eleven placings. Apart from Triroyale’s two wins, Brennan has won two races with Shes Lush (at Pinjarra and Gloucester Park in 2023) and one with Rocknroll Ralph at Pinjarra in May 20-23.
Triroyale Brigade, a winner at five of his 43 New Zealand starts, has won a further eight times in WA, taking his career record to 150 starts for 13 wins, 45 placings and $176,698. He is by Bettors Delight and is the third foal out of Mach Three mare Trigirl Brigade, who earned $143,710 from seven wins and ten placings from 46 starts.
Quizzed how she kept the old gelding racing with such enthusiasm, Brennan replied: “He doesn’t look ten, or act like a ten-year-old. I’m quite well known for spoiling my horses, and I’m a firm believer that if a horse is happy, I’ll be happy. He loves his carrots and molasses.
“I am a stablehand at Gary Hall senior’s stables where Bree Edman rides him. I prefer to have him ridden rather than working him in the cart.”
Apart from being thankful for Young’s advice, Brennan said she has learnt a great deal from Hall senior and Gary Hall junior, as well as from McDonald.