Esperance trainer looking to preserve dominant start to season with 11-runner Boxing Day representation

Attention again turns to the Esperance Bay Turf Club for their annual Boxing Day meeting, with local trainer Josh Brown looking to continue his imperious run of form. Saddling up 11 runners for the meeting, Brown has already prepared eight winners from his 24 starters this season, meaning he’s striking at one in three. Importantly for punters, Brown has an average winning price of $4.23, giving a return on investment of $1.41 to the dollar. In the opening race, Brown will gear up both I Had A Dream and Dubai’s Daughter. After sitting outside the leader, I Had A Dream surged to the front and dashed clear at the 300m mark before being gunned down late by Marybee in a maiden just under two weeks ago. Dubai’s Daughter is a former Trevor Andrews-trained galloper who has recently joined Brown’s care. Though yet to win a race, her form for her previous trainer was highly consistent and was beaten by the likes of Six Shooter and Nonesospicy at her latest start, both of who would be prohibitively short in a similar race to this. Like Dubai’s Daughter, The Man Himself in the second event is a Belhus Racing-owned galloper who comes to Brown for his first start under the talented trainer’s tutelage. Brown’s other representative in the contest is Sugared Up, who had one start for him back in October but was beaten nearly 15 lengths at Kalgoorlie. Hot Puddin will need to lift in the third event, but Al Quepone is a likely improver and Boozeroo a last-start winner for the trainer’s dual-pronged attack on the fourth. Greylander and Lady Gondo’s figure form are uninspiring in an open-looking race five, but Minor Detail has been close-up at both runs so far this preparation in the sixth. However, Brown may well have saved the best until last, with Elite Fighter looking to maintain an unbeaten preparation in the final event. The gelding has begun slowly at both runs this preparation but has still emerged successful and remains in the same class as his last win, though carrying a 1.5kg penalty.