Brown is going light on bubbly
COREY Brown will carry the hopes of thousands of punters when he rides Champagne Cuddles in the $1.5 million Stradbroke Handicap tomorrow, most of whom will be oblivious to the punishing and “lonely” road he’s gone down this week to make the filly’s 50.5kg impost.
It’s a path Brown has trodden many times during his more than a quarter of a century in the saddle and he knows there are times the hard work is all worth it and others where it turns to dust.
He only needs to cast his mind to April, when he pushed his boundaries for a fortnight to get down close to D’Argento’s Doncaster impost of 49kg, only to miss the ride after being injured earlier in the day.
“That was really, really annoying. I had put a lot of hard work into it, I was focused and as fit as I could be and for that to happen three races before, it’s punishing,” he said.
“It’s disappointing, but that’s the game. Six months ago I wasted to ride 51kg in the Melbourne Cup and that was worth it.”
Brown’s win on Rekindling at Flemington last November was his second Melbourne Cup success, having ridden Shocking at 51kg to win in 2009.
Brown’s ability to ride light puts him in demand for plum handicap rides. Only 12 months ago he steered Impending home to win the Stradbroke with 52.5kg.
Just under two weeks ago, he committed to Sydney trainer Bjorn Baker to ride Champagne Cuddles in the Stradbroke.
Moments after taking the ride he stepped on the scales. He was 56.5kg.
“I’d had a decent lunch but my weight (last Saturday) was 54kg and I barely tried to do that,” he said.
“The next two or three kg will come off, but the last 1kg takes a bit of wringing out.
“It’s not easy, especially this time of year. It’s different in summer, because we’re riding every day and it falls off you. Winter time it doesn’t come off quite as easily.
“The times I have got down to these weights, I seem to ride very well. When I ride light, I’m a lot more focused.”