Chris Bieg is a hoping a trip away, coupled with a better surface can turn around the form of promising youngster Big Brute who heads to Flemington on Saturday.
The song of Brutal created a big impression when he came off the speed to win smartly at Balaklava on debut but has finished down the track on heavy surfaces in the Listed Oaklands Plate behind Femminile and Group 3 Sires’ Produce Stakes behind Colmar at his past two starts.
“We’ve been left scratching our heads a little bit,’’ Bieg said of his past two performances.
“I think he handles it, but he hasn’t run up to what he showed on debut.
“The horse is so well within himself, the opportunity of a small field and likelihood of a better surface, we thought we’d have a crack,’’ he said.
Bieg said Saturday would be the final run for the preparation for Big Brute and he would get a good guide to where his future lies after Saturday where he’ll sport blinkers for the first time.
“He’ll get first go of the conditions on Saturday which will be a bonus, Jye can give us an indication of what he thinks in terms of his ability,’’ Bieg said.
“Jake (Toeroek) rode him last start and thought he was still six months away.
“We’re into the new season now, I’ve got the feeling he’ll miss the spring which won’t be the worst thing for him to go away and mature mentally.
“He’s an exciting horse for the autumn.
“The data suggests he’s going to be a horse who gets over ground in time and that will give us a lot of options with him here during the Adelaide Racing Carnival next year,’’ he said.
