Bruce hopeful Axe can rediscover his best form

By Glenn Davis

Deagon trainer Jack Bruce is not one for making excuses but he firmly believes stakes winner Axe is capable of regaining his best form after a disappointing winter campaign last year.

Axe – a Cejay Graham mount – steps out for the first time in six months in the Benchmark 90 Handicap over 1200 metres at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Axe claimed his greatest win as a six-year-old in the Listed Weetwood Handicap at Toowoomba in September of 2022.

However, after a subsequent placing in the Group 3 George Moore Stakes at Doomben that year, Axe did not figure in the finish at his next five starts.

Included in those runs were the Magic Millions Sprint at the Gold Coast and two Listed races - the Chief De Beers and Hinkler Handicap – during last year’s Queensland winter carnival.

Bruce then sent Axe north for the Rockhampton and Mackay Newmarket Handicaps last July where he missed a place on both occasions.

At his most recent appearance, Axe led in the Mackay Newmarket over 1300 metres before fading to finish ninth, almost six lengths behind winner, Doctor Zous.

“He went well in the Rocky Newmarket but things didn’t go his way in Mackay,” Bruce said.

“I was a bit disappointed with his winter form last year before he went north but he was five wide in the Hinkler and he never had much luck in his other winter runs.

“He’s a good horse on his day but he’s now a seven-year-old and I deliberately decided to bypass the Magic Millions this year.

“I was looking at the Magic Millions Sprint again but he would have been first-up in a very hard race so I just thought I’d find easier races for him.”

Bruce has given Axe a solid grounding for his return with a barrier trial and jump out and is confident the gelding will acquit himself well first-up.

“He’s coming along well and he ran a nice fourth in the barrier trial at Doomben last month,” Bruce said.

“He’s a good horse on his day and his form reads worse than what it is.

“It will be good for our staff if we can get him firing again."

Bruce also is hopeful of a strong showing from Galifianakis in the Benchmark 72 Handicap over 1805 metres.

The six-year-old beat two home when a first-up eighth in a 1350 metre Benchmark 70 race at Doomben on December 20.

“He’s up to 1800 metres second-up and I thought his first run back was good,” Bruce said.

“He just missed the kick and ended up back in the ruck last start.

“I don’t want to see him back with the cat catchers and it’s something we’re working on. He’s ready for the step up and is in good nick.”