Apprentice Tiffani Brooker has made the most of a last-minute booking on Monsieur Gustave to guide the gelding to a close win in the Listed Eye Liner Stakes (1350m) at Ipswich.
Brooker gave Monsieur Gustave ($18) the run of the race up on the pace on Saturday and he fought to beat In His Stride ($17) by a short head, with a short neck to Federal ($10) in third place.
Trainer Darryl Hansen continued the recent tradition of trainers missing a big win when he elected to go to Kilcoy races on Saturday.
It was Brooker’s second black-type win after success aboard Dreams Aplenty in the Group Three Gunsynd Classic (1600m) in April.
“I didn’t have a ride in the race and Daryl rang me this morning and said they were going to run Monsieur Gustave and was I available” she said.
“I knew he was a promising horse who was down in the weights. I also knew he raced up on the pace and when he was able to do that he proved very tough.”
Monsieur Gustave is likely to press on to the Glasshouse Mountain Sprint on his home track in a fortnight.
Monsieur Gustave races in the same colours as Golden Slipper winner Phelan Ready and was originally trained by Jason McLachlan.
When McLachlan retired the horse went to Hansen, who has now won four races and more than $160,000 with the gelding.
Paul Hammersley, who rode In His Stride, said his mount had flown home and would have won in a few more metres.
Corey Brown said he had been forced to go back in the field from Federal’s poor barrier and with a better draw would have been in the finish.
Flamboyer, which was fourth, ran a great race to lead until the final 100m.
