Adding to an impressive resume which includes a Group One victory in last year’s Doncaster Mile, the performance was a crowning moment for the five-year-old gelding as he truly announced his arrival into the top echelon of Australian race horses.
For Lindsay Park Racing, this result capped a scintillating month that has yielded a Group One victory in the Blue Diamond Stakes with Little Brose and a flurry of other winners at metro and country tracks across the country.
As the name suggested, a star-studded field that featured the likes of seasoned Group One winners Alligator Blood and I’m Thunderstruck greeted Mr Brightside on Saturday.
But an impressive build-up had the Lindsay Park galloper among the top contenders leading into the race, as he jumped at a price of $6.50.
With Luke Currie in the saddle replacing an injured Craig Williams, the five-year-old settled just behind stablemate Gentleman Roy and Keats.
Stalking the leaders ominously, Currie began peeling towards the outside as the field hit the Moonee Valley straight and was positioned perfectly with nothing but clear air ahead.
However, favourite Alligator Blood began his charge at the same time, and the two quickly became locked in a fierce battle to the finish.
This is where the true talent of the Lindsay Park runner came to the fore, as he saw off his champion contender and pushed hard to the finish line to secure a famous 0.5L victory.
A jubilant JD Hayes spoke to Racing.com in the immediate aftermath of the win and explained his love for Mr Brightside — a horse that has become the figurehead of the Lindsay Park Racing rebuild.
“I am still pinching myself and for the team and Ben and I it is a real thrill. We are having a real purple patch at the moment,” Hayes said.
“This horse is just a beautiful animal, he wears his heart on his sleeve and just tries so hard.
“It was a 10 out of 10 ride by Luke Currie and condolences to Craig (Williams) who put so much work into him to have him right on the right day and it was unfortunate with the fall, but to Luke’s credit it was a wonderful steer.”
Hayes said this result showed just how much the five-year-old had improved this preparation and signified an exciting future as he looks to defend his title at in Doncaster Mile in a fortnight’s time.
“We really feel like he did improve from his last preparation, which he had to do to win a race like this,” he said.
“He put on a lot more extra weight, he’s about 40kg better than he was last preparation and he seems to have turned from a boy into a man.
“He’s really cemented himself in the senior side I reckon and that improvement has seen him be able to beat horses such as Alligator Blood, they are very hard horses to get past and he did that today.”
Mr Brightside was one of three Lindsay Park runners that featured in the All-Star Mile, with Gentleman Roy finishing seventh and So Si Bon coming in eighth.
The stable unfortunately did not have the same success at Sydney’s Rosehill Gardens in Saturday’s running of the Golden Slipper.
Fresh off his maiden Group One victory, Little Brose could not repeat the performance as he finished in eighth spot, while stablemate Arkansaw Kid faired slightly better to secure seventh spot.
