After a powerful victory at Flemington, trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young are pointing Blind Raise towards Brisbane.
The Listed Anzac Day Stakes (1400m) fell to Blind Raise on Saturday, just like stablemate Epimeles managed in 2024.
Epimeles was spelled by Busuttin and Young after his win to chase spring riches, but Blind Raise gets a contrasting strategy.
Blind Raise, the $2.15 top pick for Beau Mertens, triumphed by two lengths over Profligate ($7.50) as Seraphox ($4.40) trailed by a half-head for third.
Busuttin outlined the Group 2 BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Eagle Farm next month and Group 1 J J Atkins (1600m) in June as key aims for Blind Raise soon.
“Plenty of things can go wrong between now and when they turn three and that’s why we want to go to Brisbane,” Busuttin said.
“When Epimeles won this race, we said we’d spell and go for the spring, but things haven’t stopped going wrong with him ever since.
“For this bloke, there’s two one-million-dollar races up in Queensland and I might even get a trip up there.”
Blind Raise holds a perfect record over two races, starting with a debut win at Sandown in April.
The trainer was glad to see Blind Raise build on his first-up success into a Stakes conquest on the weekend.
“He did it pretty impressively and the market said he would and you always want to see them do it, especially at their second start,” Busuttin said.
“He’s taken that next step, and he’s done it pretty easily, although he floated out in front by himself a bit, but it’s good to get the job done.”
From New Zealand sales at $70,000, Blind Raise descends from Ace High, the Victoria Derby winner, and a daughter of Group 1 powerhouse Seachange.
“This horse has got some of his sire’s ability and his granddam’s ability, Seachange,” Busuttin said.
“She was a proper horse, and the blood always seems to come through out of those good mares, probably not the first line but in their second.”
Top online bookmakers provide excellent betting sites options for the J J Atkins and other races Blind Raise may contest.
