Chiefs In Classic Mosman Clash

EXCITING Victorian littermates Chief's Empire and Chief's Sidekick stamped themselves serious players in the Peter Mosman series with impressive Wentworth Park debuts in last Saturday night's heats of the Group 1 age Classic.

Members of the exceptional April '16 Fernando Bale – Magic Diva litter, Chief's Empire was a dominant all-the-way winner of the opening Mosman heat, while Chief's Sidekick set a cracking pace when a close third to recent Group 1 Harrison-Dawson victor My Redeemer in the second run-off.
However, Lara-based owner/trainer/breeder Darren Brown's hopes of a breakthrough Group 1 success hit a major hurdle when Chief's Sidekick and Chief's Empire, named after Brown's late father Peter, were drawn alongside each other in boxes seven and eight respectively for Saturday's second semi-final.
"We were really happy with their heat runs and they should both improve this week but the drawback is that they're drawn in the same semi-final," Brown lamented.
"We snuck them up to Wentworth Park for a trial the week before the heats and they went really good. They only had a box-to-box but they did what we wanted them to do.
"What happens this week will depend on the box draw. We're hoping Chief's Empire draws close to the fence, while Chief's Sidekick will drift off so we're hoping he draws out. If they draw the other way around they will probably hit each other.
"In the first two sections they'll go head to head but Chief's Sidekick is stronger than Chief's Empire. If Chief's Sidekick is with Chief's Empire down the back he will go straight past him on the home turn. We're just hoping they can both run in the first four.
"The last time we were up at Wentworth Park was back in 2010 when Cosmic Chief ran third to Lochinvar Marlow in the Paws Of Thunder."
Chief's Empire, which was starting over 500m for only the second time, started at $6.50 from box six in the first of four Mosman heats, with Queenslander Corykodi the $3.80 favourite from box one.
Chief's Empire came out running to lead Corykodi on the first turn and he refused to surrender the lead, defeating Corykodi by 1.75 lengths in 30.13, his eighth win from 15 starts.
"We couldn't get over his price," Brown offered.
"The TAB put him up at $13 and we knocked that off straight away! If he'd drawn one or two I would have declared him but there wasn't any pace on his inside and we couldn't see anything leading him.
"He's broken sectional records at Ballarat and Shepparton.
"A couple of starts earlier he ran a 10.98 second sectional at Ballarat and no dog had ever broken 11 before. He's getting stronger and stronger as he gets older. The whole litter is. They only turned two a few weeks ago and they've just taken a bit of time."
Brown was chasing a heat-to-heat double in the second qualifier with the more-fancied Chief's Sidekick, runner-up to leading local Mosman contender Beast Unleashed in the Group 2 Launching Pad in March.
Drawn in box one, Chief's Sidekick was the $3.50 second elect, boxed alongside $2.30 favourite My Redeemer, a half-brother to last year's Mosman runner-up Up Hill Jill.
Chief's Sidekick flew out, clocking a scorching 5.39 first section, but My Redeemer got straight into second and he railed underneath Chief's Sidekick turning for home as he defeated Zipping Falcon by one length in a best of night 29.93, with Chief's Sidekick three-quarters away in third.
"We were hoping My Redeemer got into trouble but when he was camped behind us we knew we were in trouble," Brown admitted.
"Chief's Sidekick got belted on the home turn but he kept coming and he still broke 30 himself."
Brown had Percy's Empire, a third litter brother, engaged in the fourth and final heat, but he could only run fifth to Vic Sultana's 30.33 winner Elusive Wave, an April '16 daughter of Don't Knocka Him and Ella Lezah, and is second reserve for the second semi-final.
The third heat saw Pure Project, a Rodney Metselaar-trained May '16 son of Awesome Project and Isadoll, successful in 30.32.
Chief's Sidekick ($3.80) and Chief's Empire ($4.60) are on the second and third line of betting in Ladbrokes' market on the second of Saturday's two semi-finals, with Jodie Lagogiane's Beast Unleashed the $2.60 favourite from box two.
My Redeemer is the $2.80 favourite in the opening semi after drawing box eight, from where's he won two from two, ahead of Zipping Mitzy (box 2) at $3.60 and Two Times Twice (box 6) at $5.