CONOR Brassil landed his first Australian winner last Sunday, taking out the A$100,000 Brendan Drechsler Hurdle aboard the Bevan Laming-trained Right Now at Pakenham.

Having been sidelined in late June with a minor fracture in his lower back after a race fall at Warrnambool, the Co Kildare-born Brassil’s breakthrough win came at his first ride back from injury and just his fifth race ride in Australia.

Steering clear of the early pace in the 3,500 metre feature, Brassil let Right Now work into the race with 1,000 metres to run. On the bridle, Right Now looked the winner approaching the final bend, coasting to the lead at the second last.

Clearing the final hurdle, Brassil kept Right Now honest with two challengers on his hind-quarters before allowing himself a few fist-pumps on hitting the line.

Second, 14 lengths away, was The Good Fight with Lincoln King taking third. “He idles when he gets to the front too soon,” said Brassil. “I said to Richard (Laming) he’s better off the pace and I got there too early today anyway.”

NOT one to throw around superlatives, Steven Pateman was forthright in his assessment of Stern Idol following their contemptuous win in the A$100,000 Mosstrooper Steeplechase over 3,500 metres at Pakenham on Sunday.

“He’s amazing. He knows where he is when he comes here, he’s the best chaser I’ve ever sat on,” said Pateman after an all-the-way win by 14 lengths.

The Irish-bred Raven’s Pass gelding defeated Tom Foolery and Not Usual Dream, improving his jumps record in Australia to eight wins from 11 starts having started his career in France with Stephanie Nigge and later Patrice Quinton.

Having ridden Stern Idol in a race just twice before, Pateman gained the ride in the absence of Willie McCarthy whose dislocated shoulder will sideline him until August.

“Shoutout to Willie Mac, I know how it feels to watch your mate win on Stern Idol, but he’s a great guy, we’ll share him, I suppose,” quipped Pateman.

A winner up to 4,200 metres, Stern Idol has failed twice beyond that mark, failing to finish in last year’s Grand Annual and Grand National Steeplechases.

While the Grand National Steeple at 4,500 metres is on the horizon, Pateman is confident that his owners, led by Gerry Ryan, would not be out of place campaigning the seven-year-old elsewhere.

“It would be great for him to go overseas,” added Pateman. “If he goes overseas, it doesn’t mean we’ll never see him again. He can still come back, the racing world is so much smaller now, it’s easy to go around the world.”

THE Irish-bred Point Nepean made a smart hurdling debut on Sunday, winning his maiden comfortably over the even-money race favourite Wilewink in his first race-start since September.

Trained by Shane Jackson with Tommy Ryan taking the ride, his trainer is confident the former Joseph O’Brien charge can progress to a higher level.

“Tommy Ryan gave him a beautiful ride and filled the horse with confidence; he just looked to enjoy it,” said Jackson of the Camelot gelding. “I wasn’t doubting myself, but it’s the typical Australian thing: horses can’t run two miles first-up, so that was in the back of my head.

“One thing I was certain I wanted to do was to give him an extra trial, rather than just two and send him racing. I’ve done a lot of extra schooling with him, to make it more natural for him, and he jumped brilliantly today over racing speed.

“We know he’s a classy flat galloper, and it was just a matter of trying to get that back out, get him enjoying what he’s doing. I definitely think he can go through his grades.”

WINX’S three-quarter sister by Pride Of Dubai made a winning debut at Hawkesbury on Sunday.

Trained by Michael Freedman and retained by her breeder John Camilleri’s Fairway Thoroughbreds, the two-year-old Wings of Desire was a short-priced favourite based on recent trials and won by a length against the fillies and mares. “She’s quite a big filly and has just needed that time,” said Freedman.

“She’s going to be better at 1,400 metres to a mile, but they have to start somewhere.” Wings Of Desire is the final foal out of the Al Akbar mare Vegas Showgirl.

Dolan’s lucky escape

ROBBIE Dolan was lucky to escape serious injury when he took a tumble from his mount Victory Command in a handicap at Eagle Farm on Saturday. The horse appeared to clip heels before the straight, sending Dolan tumbling to the ground. He tweeted later: “Broken hand but could have been worse, if everything goes right, I’ll be back in a couple of weeks.”

BALLYDOYLE flagged three potential visitors for Melbourne’s Spring Carnival following last week’s racing.

On the Frankel colt Diego Velazquez following his Group 3 Meld Stakes win at Leopardstown the previous Thursday, Aidan O’Brien remarked; “Ryan (Moore) said he has all the class in the world and all the speed in the world. He could be a Cox Plate horse and we’ll see what we do in between with him. He’s definitely not short of pace.”

And on Juddmonte Irish Oaks Day, with Vauban, 15th and favourite in last year’s Melbourne Cup, as a guide, O’Brien highlighted Tower Of London’s ‘great cruising speed’ in the Curragh Cup. “He (Tower Of London) could be a Melbourne Cup horse. The runner-up (Grosvenor Square) loved the distance and he could be a Melbourne Cup horse as well.”