Written by Bren O'Brien
Abrazen Laugh (Brazen Beau) put a less than satisfactory debut at Flemington behind him to become the 13th 2-year-old winner for Lindsay Park this season with an all-the-way win at Pakenham on Monday.
The Tom Dabernig and Ben Hayes-trained gelding made a few mistakes on his debut earlier this month and failed to beat a runner home, but staged a quick turnaround when put on the pace by Ben Allen in the Spendthrift Australia 2YO Mdn Plate over 1200 metres on the synthetic track.
Having made is own luck, he kicked clear to win by 1.75l, holding out an unlucky Cardinal Gem (Choisir), who got bailed up back on the rails before sweeping home late, while Billiethefillie (Super One) finished third.
"Everything went right for him today, which was in contrast to his first-up run, he did everything right and Ben gave him a good ride from the front," Lindsay Park spokesman, Dara O'Meachair, said.
"We didn't do a great deal with him (between runs), just ticked him over. We thought he'd run better than he did on debut and everything that could go wrong did go wrong and today was the opposite, and he looks quite a nice horse.
"We didn't do a great deal with him (Abrazen Laugh) (between runs), just ticked him over. We thought he'd run better than he did on debut and everything that could go wrong did go wrong and today was the opposite." - Dara O'Meachair
"He had his ears pricked coming to the corner and at the 400 it looked like he had a good kick in the locker and so it proved."
Abrazen Laugh become the third Australian 2-year-old winner from the third crop of Darley's Brazen Beau, who is also the sire of the 3-year-old filly Clean Machine, who won later in the meeting for Leon and Troy Corstens.
Abrazen Laugh cost his owners $20,000 at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale - Round 2 last year from the draft of A List Stud.
Abrazen Laugh as a yearling
"He's a real cheapie and he's a great, big, smashing-looking horse, so he might have a bit of a future," O'Meachair said.
Abrazen Laugh becomes the first-ever winner for Vinery Stud's All Too Hard as a broodmare sire. His dam, Laughen Hard is out of Listed winner and G1 Golden Slipper S. runner-up How Funny (Rory's Jester), making her a half-sister to Listed winner Jester's Girl (Commands), who in turn produced the stakes winner Assimilate (Sebring).
Gelding Justify's Yulong faith
In the second race on the program, 3-year-old Yulong Justify (Written Tycoon) made an impressive debut, taking out the Watch Live On Sportsbet 3YO Mdn over 1200 metres.
Sat just off the pace, the Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained gelding finished too hard for the favourite Sabaku (Written Tycoon) to win by 1.75l, with Jonty (Magnus) in third.
McEvoy stable spokesman Finn McCarthy said it had been a bit of work to get Yulong Justify to the track after he had struggled with his barrier manners at jump-outs.
Yulong Justify
"It’s terrific to get him here a winner. He has been a real work in progress with the barriers. That has been his main issue. It’s been a lot of work to get him right," he said.
"The team have done an incredible job with him and well done to the owners as well, they’ve had to be very patient with him."
"The team have done an incredible job with him (Yulong Justify) and well done to the owners as well, they’ve had to be very patient with him." - Finn McCarthy
McCarthy said that Yulong Justify had responded well to a few tricks the stable had tried to get him to settle at the start but admitted a few nervous moments when another horse reared ahead of Monday's race and had to be scratched.
"We’ve just had to tinker around with the gear a bit for the barriers mainly. At the moment, he is wearing a stallion chain, barrier blanket and is being held in the gates and it seems to have done the trick," he said.
"I thought when the other horse was going off in the barrier, it might have set him off, but he was on his best behaviour and he proved too good.
"He has shown a bit in his jump-outs. We were confident in a good run today provided he was on his best behaviour and fortunately he was too good."
Yulong Justify as a yearling
Initially a $110,000 buy from the Inglis Australian Weanling Sale by Sheamus Mills, Yulong Justify was then offered through Princess Park Thoroughbreds' draft at the 2019 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale, where he was purchased by Yulong Investments for $180,000.
He is out of Rossa Mia (Testa Rossa), who has already produced the metropolitan winner Regardsmaree (So You Think {NZ}) and is a half-sister to stakes winners Malasun (Red Ransom {USA}) and Stokehouse (Anabaa {USA}).
