Husband and wife training team Emma-Lee and David Browne are leaving nothing to chance as they chase a rich restricted race prize at Caulfield.
Success in the VOBIS Platinum Showdown (1200m) at Caulfield on Saturday with either Mcgaw or Himalayan would be the Kiwi pair’s biggest since joining forces in 2015.
After starting out in New Zealand, the Browne’s made the move to Australia in 2022, firstly at Cranbourne before relocating to their Pakenham base the following year.
Wins have come at a constant rate, but that one special horse to really put them under the spotlight has yet to be found, although they hope McGaw may just be that horse.
Saturday’s Showdown is a race restricted to horses sired by a Victorian-based stallion.
By Swettenham Stud stallion I Am Immortal out of the Librettist mare Niki Piki Milo, McGaw was a $14,000 purchase out of the Stonehouse draft at last year’s Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
McGaw scored a debut win at Pakenham on January 30 and the Browne’s resisted the temptation of chasing races during the Blue Diamond Series to concentrate on Saturday first prize of $550,000.
After the Pakenham victory, McGaw spent a week in the paddock before starting his build-up to the Showdown, with a part of his education being two trips to Caulfield.
McGaw had not been away from Pakenham prior to a jump-out victory at Caulfield on March 5 while the gelding made another trip to the track on Tuesday for a gallop.
Emma-Lee Browne noted the difference in McGaw after his second visit to Caulfield.
“Because he’s been at Pakenham all the time, we thought we should take him somewhere else, and he’s coped with it nicely,” Browne said.
“We took the opportunity to give him a jump-out and another gallop and we saw him more settled than he was last week.
“Even Damian Lane was impressed with how settled he was in tie ups on Tuesday.
“Hopefully all the exposure will help him smarten up and not be so green on race day.”
Browne said success on Saturday would be a massive result for the stable.
“Especially as we picked him out,” Browne said.
“We’ve had a lot of luck with not overly expensive horses, and we’ve got a great bunch of owners in him who have come into more yearlings again.”
The Browne’s will also start debutant Himalayan in Saturday’s contest.
Himalayan was a more expensive purchase being by Frosted from My Fire Phoenix and was bought for $24,000 at last year’s Inglis Gold Sale in Melbourne.
The filly joined McGaw at Caulfield on Tuesday and Browne was pleased with what she saw.
“She doesn’t have the race day experience, but she galloped with McGaw, and I thought her gallop was really, really good,” Browne said.
