Future clues at Tuesday’s Breakfast with the Best at The Valley

Breakfast with the Best was on Tuesday as some of the top performers had their last prep before the Group 1 action. The action was thick and fast with some interesting performances of note ahead of the racing that is coming on Saturday.

James McDonald parted company with Via Sistina

Probably the biggest story of the day was the fall that James McDonald suffered off Via Sistina. Just after the turn into the straight, McDonald hit the turf with his mount galloping riderless past the stands. She would run three laps of the track on her own before she was caught.

There was clearly nothing untoward with the mare herself but at the same time, it was far from the ideal final prep for her tilt at the Cox Plate. It transpired that she had tripped over a loose bandage in a freak accident.

She has three wins and a second in five starts since joining the yard of Chris Waller, her sole defeat this season coming when she encountered heavy ground. 

Mr Brightside in headgear

The return of winkers on Mr Brightside was an interesting move by connections. There is no doubt that he went well in his trial ahead of another tilt at the Cox Plate. It is a race that he was beaten a hair in last year by Romantic Warrior.

He has three wins and two second-place finishes in his six runs at this track so it is a place that has always suited him well. He is still yet to win over 2000m+ so it will be fascinating to see if he can finally get that monkey off his back this coming weekend.

Excellent look around from Broadsiding

There was plenty to like about the way that Broadsiding moved on Tuesday. Jamie Kah got off him suitably impressed and will be looking forward to getting back on the colt at the weekend ahead of a race that she would dearly love to win.

Things did not go right for the Godolphin colt when he was only fourth in the Caulfield Guineas on his most recent start. Perhaps the ground was a little on the quick side but he had won on a Good 3 surface in the JJ Atkins last season on his final start as a three-year-old.

Shamus Award was the last three-year-old to win this race back in 2013. James Cummings won this race two years back for Godolphin with Anamoe and his 2024 runner is the $6 third favourite with the horse racing bookmakers.

Mornington looking for glory in McEwen

The 1200m McEwan is the target race on Saturday for Mornington Glory. Gavin Bedggood’s charge is a Valley specialist, winning on four of his five visits. He broke his duck at the highest level the last time that he was in action at the track in the Moir Stakes.

He had won a Bm100 and a Listed race at this track prior to that this season around this track, 3/3 here this season before a moderate run at Caulfield in the Schillaci on his most recent start. He did not get the clearest of runs though on that day but he might be able to step up on that back here.

Breakfast with the Best was an intriguing morning on Tuesday. Naturally, none of the horses in question were asked to do too much given there are only a few days to go until big weekend targets but it is always a pleasure to watch them in action.