Vigor Winner vying for back-to-back Group wins
Last start Group 3 winner Vigor Winner will be vying for more stakes success when he tackles the Group 3 Fred Best Classic (1400m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
The Lauren Brennan-trained galloper has been consistent in his four career starts, recording three victories and a runner-up performance in the Group 2 Wellington Guineas (1400m). “He’s a very smart horse and very talented. He probably should have won that race (Wellington Guineas), he just got held up at the top of the turn,” Brennan said. “He has been very consistent and is quite an exciting horse.”
The son of Declaration of War will jump from barrier 15 under jockey Blake Shinn and Brennan is hoping her gelding can overcome his wide gate. “He’s quite a versatile horse,” she said. “He usually jumps very well in his races, but his last start, in the Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (Group 3, 1200m), he missed the kick. “There was a horse playing up beside him and he was concentrating more on that than the gates opening. “He then came wide in that race, so he is quite versatile.”
Brennan said Vigor Winner worked well on Tuesday morning and both trainer and jockey are confident heading into the 1400m feature. “Blake galloped him on Tuesday morning and all reports were very pleasing. He is confident and we are confident. “It’s a lot tougher than what we are used to back home, it’s going to be a pretty smart field. “He has shown that he has earnt his way there, so we will have a crack, they are only three once.”