The Melbourne campaign of Emma-Lee and David Browne is slowly drawing to a close, but it has not yet run out of steam.
David Browne has been in Melbourne since mid-August with a team of four horses that has seen him produce 18 starters for five winners and around $400,000 in prize money.
The Cranbourne stables of Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young have been Browne’s home away from home for the past two months and Busuttin joked he may have to increase the rent.
While Elephant was unable to get the job done in the Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield last Saturday, Browne is looking to Rhinoceros adding to the winning tally in the Thoroughbred Breeders Vic Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield on Wednesday.
Like Elephant, Rhinoceros is a two-time winner on Australian soil this campaign having come to Melbourne with only start under his belt.
In four Australian starts, he has collected just over $70,000 in prize money.
“They’re nice horses that have done their jobs and they seem to be running well,” Browne said
“It’s been a good experience, a good learning curve.”
How far Rhinoceros can progress into the spring will be determined by Wednesday’s outing.
The son of Vadamos led throughout to claim a benchmark 64 grade race at The Valley last start over 1533m when coming back in distance from the 1800m of the Victoria Derby Preview at Flemington last month.
At his previous outing, Rhinoceros had been successful in a 1600m maiden at Sandown.
The Browne’s had been considering a Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m) start for Rhinoceros at Flemington on October 30 but have since altered those thoughts.
“We’ll have a look at him again over the mile and see how he goes,” Browne said.
“If he runs well, we’ll see where go from there, but he won’t be going to a Derby trip anyway.”
