Brando delivers faultless performance

Savabeel colt Brando moved a step closer to a Group 1 assignment with an emphatic performance to land a black type victory at the first time of asking at Ellerslie this afternoon.

The Jamie Richards-trained 3-year-old had been successful in lesser company in his two lead-up starts and he continued on his winning way with ease in the Listed Uncle Remus Stakes.

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Next month’s G1 Levin Classic at Trentham is the target race for Brando and regular rider Opie Bosson has no doubt it is a winnable race.

“He will be very, very hard to beat. He is relaxing in his races and he’s a Group 1 horse in waiting,” he said. “He’s a horse we’ve always had a lot of time for.

“We’ve worked out how to ride him now and he’s a much better chaser.”

Richards is also confident Brando can make his mark in elite company.

“He’s a smart colt and that’s what we try and do – develop these colts into stallions and hopefully he’s going in the right direction,” he said.

“He’ll go up to a mile in the Levin Classic and that looks an ideal race for him, I really like his attitude.”