The Agenda Setter: Mr B chasing piece of history
Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars) is racing for a piece of Australian racing history in Saturday’s Gr.1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) as the ‘’peaking’’ nine-year-old makes an attempt at a fourth straight victory in the Group One race.
Co-trainer Ben Hayes said Mr Brightside’s first run from injury in 2026 in last month’s Gr.1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) had the horse in great condition for Saturday’s test against the likes of track stars Sheza Alibi (Saxon Warrior) and Sir Delius (Frankel).
‘’The run has really bought him on,’’ Hayes enthused of the Memsie performance.
‘’He’s really improved in the coat. He was nine months off the scene and while he got well beaten, it was still a very good performance.
‘’He ran second (in the Memsie) the year before and came out and won the Makybe Diva quite easily.
‘’It’s a hot field but we could not be happier with him. I think he just peaks (for this race) every year. A run really switches him on and so he’ll have a perfect coat by the Makybe Diva.
‘’He seems great. He’s sound and he’s a very happy horse.’’
Mr Brightside’s second placing in the Memsie saw him became just the fifth horse in Australasian racing history to pass the A$19 million mark for prizemoney earned.
Australasia’s highest prize money earners
- Winx ($26.45m)
- Bella Nipotina ($22.75m)
- Nature Strip ($20.76m)
- Via Sistina ($19.40m)
- Mr Brightside ($19.01m)
Hayes said it was easy to talk enthusiastically about the 10-time Group One winner Mr Brightside, who has also been placed at the elite level another 13 times.
‘’He’s probably the most consistent horse in Australia,’’ he said.
‘’We’re so proud. Every time he goes around, we’re proud of him. He’s nine and he’s running against the best in Australia.
‘’Not many horses races until they are nine, but Lindsay Park has had quite a few nine-year-olds perform well such as Fields Of Omagh won a Cox Plate (2006) at nine.’’
It will be somewhat of a different looking Mr Brightside this Saturday as his regular rider Craig Williams has opted to ride the Cox Plate favourite Sir Delius first-up in the race.
‘’Craig unfortunately has jumped off but we’ve got a good jockey in Blake Shinn,’’ Hayes said.
Williams has ridden Mr Brightside in his past 26 races since Zac Purton partnered the horse in his second Doncaster Handicap victory in 2023.
Consecutive feature race wins from past greats
Manikato (5): Won the race now known as the William Reid Stakes five times from 1979 to 1983. He also won four Futurity Stakes from 1979 but did not win them in consecutive years.
Winx (4): Won four Cox Plates from 2015 to 2018
Winx (4): Won four George Ryder Stakes from 2016 to 2019
Winx (4): Won four Chipping Norton Stakes from 2016 to 2019
Lord (4): Won four Memsie Stakes from 1958 to 1961
Tie The Knot (4): Won four Chipping Norton Stakes from 1999 to 2002
Romantic Warrior (4): Won four Hong Kong Cups from 2022 to 2025
Romantic Warrior (4): Won four Queen Elizabeth II Cups from 2023 to 2026
Zipping (4): Won four Sandown Classics from 2007 to 2010
