A win at Sandown on Wednesday would see Mount Brilliant back-up in the time-honoured VRC St Leger Stakes next week with success there capping off a different approach taken by trainers Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott.
Gai and Adrian know what it takes to win a VRC St Leger as a partnership having notched three successive winners from 2018 with Runaway through to Sacramento in 2020.
Those wins add to Gai’s pair of victories in 2013 with Hippopus and Order Of The Sun a year later.
Should Mount Brilliant make it to the listed feature for three-year-olds over 2800-metres on April 25, he’ll have done so having started just a week earlier and officially trialling over hurdles.
Mount Brilliant will take his place in the Stow Storage Solutions Handicap (2400m) on Sandown’s upcoming midweek card before a tilt at the St Leger.
“He’s bred to stay,” Bott said of the gelding by Redoute’s Choice.
“It would be a bit of an unorthodox preparation to get him there but if he’s able to win, he would push on to a race like that.”
Mount Brilliant was a $350,000 buy at the 2021 Magic Millions Yearling Sale and has one win in five starts so far.
“He was bred here locally but he’s got some European (bloodlines) on his female side,” Bott added.
“He won a maiden at two over a bit of a trip.”
Mount Brilliant had two trials in Sydney before finishing fifth at Pakenham first-up over 1600 metres on March 23.
Jordan Childs retains the ride aboard the three-year-old and will aim to continue his good record with the stable having won ten races from his last 21 rides for them.
