Brigadoon Jack streets 'em

KIRK Matheson rounded off a pretty good day for apprentice riders at today’s Gold Coast meeting when he guided Brigadoon Jack to a runaway win in the final event.
The Brisbane-based Matheson, who claims 3kg, joined fellow apprentices Priscilla Schmidt (a double), Sam Payne and Patrick Keane as winners on this afternoon’s program.
The Bruce Hill-trained Brigadoon Jack looked well placed with Matheson’s claim in today’s Tall Ship Whale Watching Benchmark 85 Hcp (1400m) and punters rallied behind him, forcing his price in from $4.20 to $3.
Always in a forward position, Brigadoon Jack scooted right away over the final stages to score by a commanding 6-1/4 lengths over Lifebuoy ($7) with a nose to Mr Slick ($7) in third.
Brigadoon Jack’s success today was the 108th win for his owner-breeder Col Harbrow who believes a recent change of riding tactics has helped turned the five-year-old’s form around.
“He’d been ridden back in some of his recent starts in Brisbane and that obviously hadn’t been working, so we’ve decided to lower the bar a bit and bring him  back to the Gold Coast and to ride him more forward in his races,’’ said Harbrow.
“We rode him forward at his previous start here (on May 12) and that paid off immediately. And it’s worked even better today because he was very impressive.’’
Harbrow will discuss the next step with trainer Bruce Hill, but indicated Brigadoon Jack might attempt a hat-trick in a 1400m race at the Gold Coast on June 9.
Harbrow bred Brigadoon Jack (by Falvelon) from his Our Maizcay mare Little Nova. Today’s victory was Brigadoon Jack’s seventh win from 29 starts and pushed his prizemoney earnings just past the $100,000 mark.
Story: Neil Archer
Photo: Trackside Photography Pty Ltd