A trip to the Cranbourne racecourse for a midweek track gallop has proven instrumental in Globe taking out the Listed Cranbourne Cup on Saturday.
The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained galloper is prepared at the Cranbourne Training Centre, but the track was opened for pre-raceday gallops ahead of Saturday’s meeting.
It was a masterstroke by the pair who engaged in-form rider Ethan Brown to partner the huge galloper in the workout on Tuesday and Saturday’s 1600m contest.
Taken straight to the front by Brown, the $4.40 betting sites favourite held on to land a long-head win from Air Assault ($5) with Dashing ($26) a length away third.
“I think bringing him here on Tuesday was a good idea because he is a high nervous energy horse and he did belt out a bit of energy on Tuesday morning,” Price said.
“Ethan did a good job on him. I know it’s hot, but it’s not hot where the horses are.
“I thought the kid did a good job with him out the back and they hosed him and kept him cool.
“The horse was in good nervous order. His wheels weren’t fizzing around his head, which they can, and I think the more racing he does, the better he’ll be.”
The victory aboard Globe completed a big afternoon for Brown who earlier in the day took out the inaugural running of The Meteorite aboard the Ciaron Maher-trained Nadal.
Brown partnered Globe in his galloper during the week and made the observation he thought the gelding had improved from his second-place finish in the Listed Chester Manifold Stakes at Flemington during the Melbourne Cup Carnival.
“It was a hot day, which could have easily brought him undone, but he was in the right hands, and he kept his cool,” Brown said.
“We established such a beautiful lead. He pricked his ears and I knew I was on a fit horse to up the tempo a long way out and try and break them.
“That’s what happened, and he’ll improve again out of this run.
“I’m confident he’ll get back to where they thought he was heading before he got injured.”
Globe won his first four starts before suffering heart fibrillation when favourite and finishing last in the Feehan Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley in September last year.
He then suffered a shoulder injury in one appearance during the autumn but has returned this campaign in excellent form.
Price said he was likely to restrict Globe’s racing over the summer months and potentially look to a big autumn prize, on a bigger track than Cranbourne.
Brown said Globe got around the tight Cranbourne circuit as he was not pressure early.
“If he had got pressured, he may have been brought undone,” Brown said.
“But that’s why we rode him forward to establish a lead, get him happy and get him going.”
