Chancellor Cullen will be at prohibitive odds this weekend at Melton
Dean Braun’s stable is absolutely on fire.
On Friday night at Melton’s Tabcorp Park the Lara horseman puts the polish on up-and-coming star Chancellor Cullen and Saucy Vision in the SEW-EURODRIVE Pace Final, and unbeaten duo Macha and Major Steppe in the Alabar Three-Year-Old Pace.
The latter race is the 10th event on the program, to be run at 9.54pm, but it’s worth waiting up for with Macha oozing all sorts of potential.
The son of Mach Three toyed with his rivals in winning on debut at Melton on October 19, jumping straight to the lead and scorching along for a 10.9m win in 1:55.8, coming home in 27.1sec.
Braun has a huge opinion of the horse, who he says could be “pretty special” come the end of the season.
“He’s got enormous potential,” Braun said.
“I’ve got a huge opinion of him. He’s got Derby class written all over him.”
The trainer has had Macha in the stable for about six weeks after sourcing him from New Zealand.
“I went over and trialled him, he’s always shown enormous potential,” Braun said.
Macha has drawn two on Friday night with Chris Alford in the sulky.
“He’ll have this run on Friday night and then we’ll give him a break,” Braun said.
“He’s still very green and raw but his times at home show he’s a pretty amazing horse. He can run 56.5sec in second gear at the trials."
Major Steppe will contest the same race as Macha but despite being two-from-two with wins at Ararat and Geelong, Braun admits the son of Art Major “isn’t in the same class as Macha”.
“He’s a really nice horse. He’s getting better all the time,” Braun said of the Nathan Jack-driven commodity.
“He’ll have this run and head to the paddock too.”
Chancellor Cullen will be shooting for his sixth straight win when he contests Race 6.
“I’m very happy with how he’s going,” Braun said of the five-year-old son of Christian Cullen.
“His win in the Melton Plate was excellent. They were all talking up Caribbean Blaster and we made him look second rate. He’s on target for Perth."
In Western Australia Chancellor Cullen will target the McInerney Classic and Golden Nugget.
“He’s the best horse I’ve had,” Braun said.
“His strength and speed, he’s got a great attitude and will to win. They’re all the things you look for in a top-liner.”
Stablemate Saucy Vision has drawn outside the front row in Race 6, Braun saying driver Nathan Jack would most likely allow the son of Live Or Die to get back and run on late.
Braun said he was thrilled with how his stable was tracking at the moment and heaped praise on his staff and owners.
“I’ve got great owners, a great staff and a great team of horses, so I’m very fortunate at the moment that it’s all going really well,” he said.
