Young trainer Jack Bruce chasing second city win

By Glenn Davis

Deagon’s Jack Bruce has hit the ground running in his fledgling trainer career and is hopeful of notching up a second metropolitan winner with Barade at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Barade, who will jump from the outside barrier of nine in the Benchmark 90 Handicap over 2200 metres, won the Shoot Out Quality at Eagle Farm in January of last year when he was formerly trained in Victoria by Archie Alexander.

The French import then campaigned in Tasmania, placing in the Hobart Cup and finishing fourth in the Launceston Cup in February last year, before a close fifth in the 2021 Group 2 Adelaide Cup at Morphettville.

Barade's owners, OTI Racing, sent him to Bruce last May after he failed to win in two subsequent campaigns, which included a handy sixth in the Group 2 Herbert Power at Caulfield last October.

“He was racing well in Victoria but had probably reached his level and was doing a few things wrong like missing the kick in some of his races,” Bruce said.

Now an eight-year-old, Barade had his first start for Bruce finishing sixth over 1800 metres at Eagle Farm on June 4 before a seventh to the David Vandyke-trained Fast Talking on a heavy track at the Sunshine Coast on July 2.

Barade landed his first win in 18 months and gave Bruce his maiden city winner when he turned the tables on Fast Talking in a 2030 metre Benchmark 85 race at Doomben on July 13.

“His Doomben win was very good on a soft track but he didn’t handle the conditions when Fast Talking beat him the previous run at Caloundra ,” Bruce said.

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.

Bruce felt the time was right to start his own training career and now has a stable of 24, including six two-year-old's in work at Deagon, on Brisbane’s north side.

He believes training at Deagon is a perfect fit to launch his training career as it is close to the beach and only 20 minutes from Eagle Farm and Doomben.

The 32-year-old New Zealander landed his first winner with only his fourth starter when Head Up High was successful at Beaudesert on June 21.

“Everything is going well but my main barometer is to have my horses run well and consistently,” he said.

“I’ve won three races so far from 15 starters.”

Bruce had his first interstate starter when Head Up High finished third in the Hunterstay over 2900 metres at Newcastle last Saturday.