KEY POINTS:
Toowoomba trainer Wayne Nugent and Japanese rider Kenji Yoshida collected the biggest payday of their careers when Friendly Embrace scored an upset win in the group three George Moore Stakes at Doomben.
Friendly Embrace flashed home down the centre of the track to score by half a length over Daunting Lad with early leader Tour Guide clinging on to third place just a nose away.
Nugent, who is a farrier by trade and also runs a horseshoe business, rated the 7-year-old's victory as easily the highlight of his career.
"It's my biggest win by a long way," Nugent said.
"This horse has got a great record and he tries his heart out every time.
"Kenji deserves a lot of credit as he's put a lot of work into this horse."
Friendly Embrace's victory was his 11th in a 28-start career and brought to an end the unbeaten run of seven-time winner Charming Rogue who had the run of the race but could manage only 14th, just over three lengths from the winner.
Friendly Embrace is part-owned by Ken Larkin, who bred the son of Clang.
"His mother Friendly Miss had a couple of runs but she had a breathing problem so we called it quits with her on the track," Larkin said.
"This bloke was her first foal but she had another foal, Friendly Edition, which won a race before it was hurt.
"I first met Wayne though a mate of ours, Peter McLean who used to train a few mares for me, and Wayne broke him in."
Nugent is now eyeing the second leg of the Doomben Summer Series, the Listed Doomben Stakes (1350m) on December 20, with Friendly Embrace.
He said his confidence with Friendly Embrace soared after the Doomben track was upgraded following overnight rain.
"I was a little worried about his chances in the wet. He doesn't like it but once it got to dead I was fairly confident he could win," Nugent said.
Daunting Lad's rider Shane Scriven was stunned when he saw Friendly Embrace flash past him in the final 50 metres.
"Where did that thing come from?" Scriven asked trainer Bill Naoum, who
will also target the Doomben Stakes with Daunting Lad.
"I thought he got there but he had to be used up too much to get across from his wide draw," Naoum said.
Despite suffering the first loss of his career, Charming Rogue's run pleased trainer Alan Bailey.
"He had no room at all and was too restricted in the traffic. I was happy enough with his run but I always thought he might be vulnerable over 1200 metres."
* * *
Trainer Mathew Ellerton described Brunello as a rugged, no-frills horse after the Testa Rossa gelding landed his first metropolitan win at Caulfield on Saturday.
Brunello ($11), ridden by Darren Gauci, beat a handy field of 3-year-olds in the Cystic Fibrosis Carrier Hcp (1400m).
He scored by 1 lengths from Burrowye ($14) who circled the field from second last of the 12 runners.
The Moon Day, backed from $101 in to $61, was a head away third.
"He ran fifth to Exceedingly Good in the first 2-year-old race last season (the Maribyrnong Trial Stakes at
Flemington) and his form has been good all along apart from his last-start failure on a heavy track at Ballarat," Ellerton said.
Brunello was sent out $3 favourite in a Rating 0-68 Hcp (1200m) on Ballarat Cup Day but was beaten 15 lengths when last of seven runners.
"He's a tough, rugged, no-frills horse who goes forward and makes his own luck," Ellerton said.
"I thought he (Gauci) might have popped him out a bit early because he hardly had a run at Ballarat and had to step up to 1400 metres."
Brunello's grand-dam Polar Rose, by Avatar, is the mother of 1996 Caulfield Cup winner Arctic Scent who was also raced by Contract Racing Pty Ltd Syndicate.
- AAP
