Of The Brave is ready for his racetrack reappearance following an exhibition gallop between races at Sandown.
Ridden by race jockey Stephen Baster, the Mark Riley-trained colt had the better of stablemate Royalic at the end of an 800m gallop at the return meeting at Sandown on Wednesday.
The three-year-old son of Starspangledbanner is set to resume in the Vain Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on August 15.
“I thought his work was very good,” Riley said.
“He’s grown, he’s strengthened and he’s improved and to go forward to where he needs to be he needs to have done that.”
After the Vain Stakes Of The Brave is to head to the Danehill Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on September 12 and then to his Group One target, the Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on Derby day.
Riley said whether the colt ran between any of those races would be dependent on the horses condition.
“I’m going to leave that open and if we don’t need to run him we won’t run him,” Riley said.
“There’s no point running the horse around in different races for the sake of running him.
“I think we’ve got a very good horse and we need to look after him.”
Of The Brave is yet to race at Flemington and Riley said he would like to take the colt to the straight course for a familiarisation gallop before the Danehill.
Riley said Of The Brave was diagnosed with inflammation of the airways following his fading 12th at his last start in the Blue Diamond Stakes in February.
He said the condition was ongoing but manageable.
Baster said the colt is going really well.
“I’ve trialled him and galloped him and I think he’s a very good horse,” he said.
