Racing
Briasa drawn to give Shorts a shake
‘It’s like a mini Everest’. Tyler Schiller is looking forward to Briasa’s clash with some heavyweight sprinters in The Shorts.
A barrier draw immediately to the inside of favourite Private Harry has given Briasa's jockey Tyler Schiller a boost of confidence ahead of the grey's return in The Shorts at Randwick.
The T J Smith Stakes winner has gate four with Private Harry to jump from five and Schiller expects the barrier to give him options in terms of tactics.
"I was happy when I saw the barrier draw because it gives us more of a chance to come out and be nice to him rather than force him somewhere from a bad draw, like in the Galaxy when he had to go back and set himself too big a task," Schiller said.
"He gets a good draw and he's jumping well.
"He should put himself in the race and if he's got the coat tails of Private Harry, he's going to go a long way."
Already selected for an Everest slot, Briasa has turned in two sharp performances at the trials and is a two-time winner fresh.
His only first-up defeat came in The Galaxy (1100m) in March when he ended up last from an outside gate and flashed home to finish fourth to Private Harry.
Schiller has built a wonderful rapport with the Hawkes Racing gelding having ridden him seven times for four wins and while he concedes Saturday will be a serious test against the likes of fellow Everest contenders Private Harry and Joliestar, he also has confidence in his horse.
"It's a very hot race," he said.
"You've got Private Harry, Joliestar and Briasa that are all going to The Everest so it's like a mini Everest without all of the favoured runners being there.
"He's got a great attitude. He doesn't have any quirks. He just does his job, pins his ears back and tries very hard."
A field of 10 will contest The Shorts (1100m), which also marks the returns of Golden Slipper winner Marhoona and dynamic sprinter Jedibeel.
Since The inception of The Everest (1200m) in 2017, Ball Of Muscle (2018) is the only winner of The Shorts not to go on to contest the spring showpiece.
Both Redzel (2017) and Classique Legend (2020) claimed The Shorts-Everest double.
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