3 minute read
Trainer and jockey quotes after Eternal Flame takes out the Group 2 BMD Group Sunline Stakes at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
Race Result:
1st: Eternal Flame (E Brown/M Kent) - $9.50
2nd: Rumbled Again (M Dee/M Trotter) - $81
3rd: Campionsessa (O Bosson/M Walker) - $4.60
Winning Time: 1:36.54 Last 600m: N/A
Margins: ¾L x ¾L
It's a G2 win for the daughter of Sacred Falls
— Racing.com (@Racing) March 23, 2024
Eternal Flame, Mick Kent & @Brown_ethan8 are back together again pic.twitter.com/E0o8YESu2F
Winning Trainer: Mick Kent
Ethan Brown riding: "He's been on this horse all along but through circumstances he's missed the ride twice and Damian (Lane) has filled his shoes.
"It is good to see him back on her. He actually a lot of money with that Power Play when he won on her at Pakenham so she has been good to him.
"He understands her well and I thought it was a real heady ride because we were very keen to be in the first four.
"We had a good walk of the track and thought it was better to be three or four deep. We didn't see Foxy Cleopatra going forward and putting us back a length further but he was smart and bided his time and got her in the three-wide lane early.
Progression: "She has got so much better on race day. We've been a bit tough on her. I've liked her a bit fresh and we backed her up at Caulfield and won at Flemington.
"She's had a busy few weeks but she's coped really well. We'll put her out now for the spring and she's can improve more.
"We thought at Flemington that it would be enough but she just thrived. We thought it wouldn't be the right track for her but she drew a nice barrier so there was no point going to the paddock when she was in such good form."
Winning Jockey: Ethan Brown
"It feels great especially to repay Mick. He stuck by me and I've been unlucky on this horse a few times and people get frustrated but it was good to repay them again today.
"It was a bit of a rush to that first corner. I let her balance up and they backed off down the side. She had the race fitness on her side, the mile wasn't a problem, and I had to balance her up around the corner and away she went.
"She's been bouncing really well in her races. We thought she'd do that again today and hold her spot in a first four position one-out one-back but she bounced ok but lacked that early speed.
"She switched off lovely through the run but I was able to dictate and use her fitness when I wanted to.
"First look at The Valley, it was important that I had her balanced around the corner."
