Momentum continues to build for Emma-Lee and David Browne this season, with the husband-and-wife training partnership looking forward to running promising types across multiple states in the days and weeks ahead.
One contender likely to line up for the stable on Friday is NZ$90,000 2024 NZB Karaka Book 1 purchase Just Kick (NZ) (Staphanos), who is being aimed towards the Listed Anzac Day Stakes (1400m) at Flemington.
The daughter of Staphanos impressed on debut when finishing second to Saluted at Pakenham under Craig Williams, with the team tempted to try and aim for black-type level at her second start.
“(We were) very, very happy with her first up run,” said Emma-Lee Browne.
“She’s a nice filly, so a little shot at black type with her in her first preparation is quite tempting.
“It does look like quite a sharp field and there’s a few nice horses in there, so she’ll probably have to bring her ‘A-game’, but her work on Saturday morning was exceptional, so we’re pretty happy going forward.
“I think the long straight at Flemington will really suit her. She did take a little while to get into stride the other day, but I thought she was really chasing that last bit.”
Three-year-old gelding Garnacho (NZ) (Ace High) is another who will race this week, with nominations in both Victoria and South Australia and a decision on where he’ll accept and run still to be decided.
“He is quite a hot horse, being by Ace High, he can get a little above himself, so that’s why we’re wanting to run him this weekend,” Browne said.
“I think this weekend will give us a good picture of whether we can stretch him out to a Derby trip, or of course we can drop him back to that mile trip.
“He’s come back in really well this time and I think from what we saw early days, he definitely has a lot of potential.”