Written by Georgie Dennis
Trainers Mathew Ellerton and Simon Zahra and owner/breeder David Moodie have a decision to make after General Beau (Brazen Beau) kicked off his second campaign with an impressive win in the Listed Blue Diamond Preview (C&G) at Caulfield on Tuesday.
The colt, who took out the opening 2-year-old race of the year at Flemington in September, is not amongst the most recent acceptors for next month’s G1 Blue Diamond S., however, connections still have the option to pay the $50,000 late entry fee.
General Beau started from barrier two under leading jockey Jamie Kah and was forced to settle on the rails in behind the frontrunners.
The inside lane was the unideal spot to be on the track but it didn’t matter for the colt as he scooted through when his leading rivals veered out and he ran home strongly to score by 0.5l.
Recent Rosemont acquisition Extreme Warrior (Extreme Choice) ran home well to score second while Sun Stud’s Gulf Of Suez (Fighting Sun) was another 1l away in third.
Speaking after the race, Ellerton said that General Beau will next line-up in the G3 Blue Diamond Prelude on February 6 and it will be decided from there whether or not he will progress to the $1.5 million Group 1 feature later in the month.
"It looked like he was in a tricky spot on the home turn and some of those out wider had a bit of momentum on him but he was good enough to knuckle down and get the job done," Ellerton said.
"He’s really matured up fantastic from the spring. He had a really good break and he was a bit shin sore after his last run. Touchwood we’ve had a really faultless prep with him and hopefully, he can make his way to a Prelude."
"Touchwood we’ve had a really faultless prep with him and hopefully, he can make his way to a Prelude." - Mathew Ellerton
Bringing up her 50th metropolitan win for the season and extending her lead in the jockey’s premiership, Kah said she would love to see General Beau head to the Blue Diamond.
“I’ll be happy to stay on for the ride," Kah said. "He’s only going to get better as he gets further and it’s up to them. I’d be pushing in that direction.
“He's come back bigger and better this time. He was such a baby in his first few starts and he still, on ability, got there when he won his first race, but today he was a lot more polished.
"It would have been better out wider, ideally, but we had to cop it in the end. He still did a little bit wrong. He still laid in, was a little bit green so there’s lots of improvement there."
Jamie Kah aboard General Beau
Bred and raced by Contract Racing, General Beau is the second foal to race and win out of Lonhro mare Phosphorescence.
Phosphorescence herself is out of G3 VRC Thoroughbred Breeders' S. and G3 Blue Diamond Diamond Prelude winner Nediym’s Glow (General Nediym), who has also produced Listed Maribyrnong Trial S. runner-up Double Jeopardy (Exceed And Excel).
General Beau’s third dam is Palace Glow (Palace Music {USA}), who is responsible for multiple stakes winner and G1 South Australian Derby runner-up Red Colossus (Testa Rossa), the stakes-placed Radiant Star (Success Express), and Royal Glow (King’s Best {USA}), the dam of G2 Danehill S. winner Kinglike (Exceed And Excel).
General Beau’s win continues a remarkable week for Darley stallion Brazen Beau after he sired the winner of Saturday’s R. Listed Karaka Million 2YO winner On The Bubbles.
