Equalizer On Track For Brisbane Cup Defence

EQUALIZER will be aiming to give his connections their third straight Group 1 Brisbane Cup when he lines up in the series next Thursday.

EQUALIZER will be aiming to give his connections their third straight Group 1 Brisbane Cup success when he lines up in the heats of the $525,000 series at Albion Park next Thursday night.

And the son of KC And All and Captivating signalled he is ready to go back-to-back in the Cup after storming home to grab Orchestrate on the line to win Thursday night's Group 3 Super Sprinters (520m).

He had won the race last year as well.

It was a bitter-sweet moment for Orchestrate's trainer Tony Brett who has had Equalizer in his kennel for the past week in preparation for the Winter Carnival.

The “See The Dream” Syndicate races Equalizer out of the Jason Thompson kennel in Victoria.

He scored by a neck over Orchestrate who had looked all over a winner turning for home, with last week's Flying Amy Classic winner Photo Man three-quarters of a length away in third.

The winner ran 29.82.

It was his 25th victory in 60 starts and took his stakes to $470,000.

But, it was a victory enjoyed by syndicate head Serg Buccilli and the Thompsons because Equalizer is on the comeback trail after what appeared to be a career-ending tendon injury.

“That's why we registered him at stud and he even has a litter of pups from one of our own bitches,” said Serg.

“Considering the injury he had, it is unbelievable what he is doing. But, he's such a tough dog.”

Buccilli had a warning for rivals in next week's Cup heats.

“When Jason sent him north to Tony Brett for the carnival, Tony put him around Albion Park and he went a length quicker this year than he did when he trialled him at the same time last year,” said Serg.

“So, it appears he has come back even quicker.”

Equalizer will be chasing a hat-trick of Cup victories for his connections.

They also won the Brisbane Cup in 2020 with the great bitch Black Opium a half-sister to Equalizer.

Black Opium has a litter of Bernardo pups now six months old being reared by David Pringle in NSW.

“David is in love with them,” said Serg.

Equalizer won last year's Brisbane Cup beating Music Event and Wise Thunder.

The tendon injury forced him off the racing scene from August 2021 to March this year.

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