Vastly improved Monsieur Gustave has shown he has progressed to being at home in elite class with his fourth straight stakes win.
Eighteen months ago, Monsieur Gustave had won one race but he is now on course to win a $500,000 bonus for taking three major sprints in the Brisbane summer and winning a Magic Millions Cup.
Monsieur Gustave ($4.60) gave apprentice Tiffani Brooker her second Group Three winner when he held on to score by a nose in front of Sydney horse Calanda ($3.80) in the $200,000 George Moore Stakes at Doomben on Saturday.
Trainer Darryl Hansen had finished second with Bring It Home Pop in the previous race and was left on tenterhooks when Calanda lunged at Monsieur Gustave on the line.
“I thought he had won. I know how hard he can fight. They really served it up to (Monsieur Gustave) early and he had to really fight,” Hansen said.
“So it is on to the Lough Neagh Stakes in two weeks and then the Buffering Quality on December 30. It has been our plan to chase the $500,000 bonus for winning those three races and he has taken the first step.
“After that it will be on to the Magic Millions Cup over 1400 metres.”
Brooker won the Group Three Gunsynd Handicap in the winter on Dreams Aplenty but admits she has a special place for Monsieur Gustave.
“That’s four rides on him for four wins. He is something special and he loves to fight,” Brooker said.
Snoopy ($8) was a half-neck back in third in the 1200m race.
Earlier, trainer Diane Murphy had her first Saturday metropolitan winner when Mishani Phoenix ($18) won the class 6 race (1600m).
Murphy has a small team at Beaudesert and has had plenty of success at provincial tracks in recent years.
“I have had a few placings in town but this is my first Saturday winner. I am originally from New Zealand but I had my 21st birthday here just a couple of years back,” Murphy said.
“Mishani Phoenix won at Murwillumbah with 61.5 kilograms at his previous start and he dropped to 54.5 today. I gave him a real chance.”
