Claim the key to Canasta's Doomben hopes

By Glenn Davis

Trainer Jack Bruce feels like a winner after his first full season of training and hopes to be in the winner’s stall at Doomben on Wednesday.

Bruce finished just outside the top ten in the Brisbane trainers’ premiership after starting his fledgling training career with a team of five horses in his stable 15 months ago.

Bruce is based at Deagon, where he has 24 horses in work, but has expanded rapidly and also trains 20 horses at the Sunshine Coast.

He finished last season in 12th place in both the Queensland and Brisbane jockeys’ premierships behind champion trainer Tony Gollan.

At Doomben on Wednesday, Bruce will have only one starter, French import Canasta in the Class 5 Handicap over 1660 metres.

Canasta has placed in all three starts for Bruce since joining his stable from Warwick Farm trainer Bjorn Baker.

The eight-year-old resumed with a close second in a 1400 metre Benchmark race at the Sunshine Coast on July 1 then stepped up to city class finishing third to the Chris Waller-trained Shopping Esprit in a 1600 metre Benchmark race at Eagle Farm on July 15.

Canasta will be ridden by three kilogram-claiming apprentice Jake Molloy.

“The claim will be the key for him and the rail will be out 11 metres which will suit him,” Bruce said.

“He should lead or be just off the pace.

“He lost his way in Sydney so I gave him a good spell when I first got him.

“He’s been very consistent with me and hopefully he can go one better this time.”

Bruce came through the prestigious Godolphin Flying Start program and served his “apprenticeship” working for some of the nation’s biggest stables.

He spent seven years with Bjorn Baker and Chris Waller in Sydney before a stint with the training partnership of Ciaron Maher and David Eustace.

“It’s been an awesome year in my first year training,” Bruce said.

“I didn’t think I had enough horses in the stable to threaten for the top so it’s been a super year.

“I’m really enjoying it but I’ve got no lofty ambitions other than keep training winners and eventually break into the top ten.”