Stable giant Brungle Bertie achieved the highlight of his career on Sunday, storming away with the Grand National Steeplechase at Ballarat. The hulking son of Canford Cliffs jumped cleanly and ground his rivals into the turf by the end of the 4500-metre feature, winning by five-and-a-half lengths to the roars of his adoring home crowd. Jockey Lee Horner gave the eight-year-old a perfect run throughout, stalking a willing battle up front and capitalising when others started to feel the pinch. Normally saving his best performances for heavy ground, Brungle Bertie travelled sweetly every step of the way on firmer footing, Horner finally let him go at the 800-metre mark where even then he looked all-over the winner. The pair took over at the top of the straight, and there was a mixture of relief and elation when the big gelding cleared the last fence, Horner standing in the irons and saluting the crowd when the race was safely in his keeping. The popular jockey was showered in champagne upon returning to the mounting yard, giving a post-race interview that exposed all the perils of live broadcasting. As for Bertie, he would have gone another lap had Horner not pulled him up past the post, the feature winner as fit as any horse in the land. “He’s just got a massive motor”, the jock said of his strong finish. “He sustained that gallop all the way around (past the post) another 800-metres”.
“The future looks bright for the horse from Casterton”.
The Grand National was a long range plan for Henry and Bertie’s owner, Peter Balderstone, who last saw their horse win on this day twelve months ago in a benchmark-120 steeplechase. “This year, we said to Peter ‘we could go this whole season without winning a race’ because he wasn’t going to be competitive in any race until today”, Dwyer said post-race. And so it was, the eight-year-old using a combination jumpouts, flat racing and steeples to be ready to fire in the final jumps race of the season. “Just over the moon to win what is an absolute iconic race at our home track”.
“I’m glad for the horse that he’s won one of these races, because he deserves it. And I’m just so happy for Peter and his family…they breed a nice horse every year and I’m just fortunate to train them”.
Brungle Bertie will enjoy a well-earned spell until Christmas time now, where he’ll return to the stable and set his sights on a berth in the Grand Annual Steeplechase at Warrnambool in May.