Brimstone Stamps Himself A Star In Young Guns

BREEDER and owner Peter McBlane was blunt declaring his favourite “son” Brimstone should not have won Saturday night's Listed Young Guns (520m) at Ipswich … but he did.

Brimstone (Flying Fired Up-Agame) ran down Group 1 performer Magistrate, then held off track record holder Blue Hornet to win the final and grab the $30,000 pay day for Peter and his wife Angela, and the training partnership of Selena and Mick Zammit.

He ran 30.47 and took his career record to just nine starts for six wins and a third.

“He stamped himself as a class dog by winning,” said Peter.

Magistrate, coming off a finals berth in the $1 million Brisbane Cup, dashed right to the front early and opened up a big break.

But, Brimstone had his measure by the turn out of the back straight.

“I bred the mother Agame who was a finalist in the Futurity at Albion Park,” said Peter.

“But, I tossed up between Sennachie and the US stud dog Flying Fired Up as her first mating and bought a straw for both.

“In the end I went with Flying Fired Up because it doubled up Kiowa Sweet Trey and also brought in the Aussie dog Star Chariot.

“Agame is due on in January and she will go to Sennachie then.”

Brimstone and his sister Icy Eyes were sent to the Zammits after Mick approached Peter McBlane to buy the litter sister Mahuika.

“I was surprised Mick wanted to buy her and not one of the other two because Brimstone and Icy Eyes had trialled 30.40 and 30.60 at their first 520 metre trial at Ipswich when 17 months old,” said Peter.

“I told Mick he and Selena could train that pair if he wanted.”

Peter is a student of bloodlines and he bred with Bishop's Lass, the second dam of Brimstone, putting her to Buckle Up Wes, the Tassie-bred superstar who won the G1 Topgun and Australian Cup.

“At the time, Bishop's Lass was the only litter by Buckle Up Wes on the mainland,” he said.

“We kept five and they were all city winners.

“Then when Bishop's Lass came on season, we put her to Flying Fired Up.

“I'm a huge fan of Primo Uno and believe without Primo Uno in his damline, Fernando Bale would not have been Fernando Bale at stud.

“I also bred the Flying Fired Up litter wanting to get good bitches and that's what we got.”

It is no secret the Zammit kennel believes Icy Eyes is a potential star stayer.

Peter is also training another of the bitches called Away Game who made her Albion Park debut recently after three months off with a chipped stopper bone.

She won in 18.90 by 14 and a half lengths.

Peter said he had not spoken to the Zammits about Brimstone's immediate race plans.

“That's up to Mick and Selena,” he said.