Hawkes: Briasa has "gone to the next level" ahead of autumn prep

By Connor Scanlon

Gun sprinter Briasa is in career-best form.

That’s the message co-trainer Michael Hawkes was spreading about his horse on SENTrack & RSN’s Giddy Up.

The son of Smart Missile is coming off two elite trials, where he won at Warwick Farm across 800m and Rosehill at 900m.

In his most recent trial at Rosehill, he absolutely smoked the field which included another Group 1 winner in Reserve Bank, winning by six lengths. This superb run suggests that he will be supremely hard to beat first-up.

When speaking on those trials, Hawkes exclaimed that the five-year-old is better than ever and has gone to another level.

“He went super the horse, he's come back bigger, stronger, better!” John & Wayne Hawkes' co-trainer stated.

“His second trial, he was fantastic, and he's definitely going or gone to the next level in our opinion.

“I think he is (better now), to be honest, he's a lot more mature, he's more relaxed… The maturity has really kicked in.”

Last autumn Briasa was fourth when first-up in the Group 1 Galaxy (1100m), before winning the Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) second-up.

Hawkes confirmed that the gun grey will also follow that exact same race programme this time around.

“He's going to The Galaxy mate, running first-up,” Hawkes confirmed.

“Obviously first-up in a Galaxy - last year's Galaxy he drew a bad barrier (13) and if he had have drawn the right barrier he would have won in our opinion, but his run was nothing short of outstanding - 12 months on, he's more mature and he looks fantastic.

“Yeah, (he will run second-up in the TJ Smith). Second-up last time he was in the (TJ Smith), which was an outstanding run… Second-up is probably his best going at it.”

Regarding his confidence levels heading into those two runs, Hawkes exclaimed that the gelding will be hard to beat in The Galaxy and should hopefully defend his TJ Smith crown.

“The Galaxy's looking very good at this stage, he's going to go up obviously in the weights, but in saying that, as I said, he should have won (last year), in our opinion,” stated Hawkes.

“The horse is flying, he's had two solid trials, home track (Rosehill for The Galaxy), and then second-up in a TJ.

“Mate, Joliestar, it's flying, it's a four-time Group 1 winner, we've only won one, but we're a new kid on the block.

“You know what? (Briasa) is the forgotten horse.”

Briasa is currently the $4 favourite with Sportsbet to win The Galaxy on March 21 and $13 to take out the TJ Smith Stakes on April 4.