Emerging sprinter Bravo Centurion has nailed a picket-fence while earning a black-type first in the LR Crawford Stakes (1000m) at Ascot.
Saturday’s front-running victory was his fifth in as many starts this prep for trainer Luke Fernie and a syndicate that bought him for $40,000 from Namerik Thoroughbreds at the 2022 Perth Magic Millions.
Bravo Centurion had to work overtime to keep the lead from flying filly Sinful Living (Safeguard) and he sprinted again in the straight to hold out the late charge of Saloon Bar (Sessions). “That was his first big test and he did it at both ends,” jockey Chris Parnham said. “He absorbed all the pressure in front and then dropped the filly. Luke has a good opinion of him and there’s more improvement to come.”
Having a high-cruising speed is an asset and he clocked 57.58s for 1000m at his first start on a good surface. His previous four wins had been on Soft and Heavy tracks at Belmont and Pinjarra.
Bravo Centurion was bred by Namerik owner Alan Bansemer from the first southern crop of National Defense (Invincible Spirit) who was a 2yo Group 1 winner of the 2016 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (1600m) at Chantilly. He died after shuttling from the Irish National Stud to Sun Stud in Victoria between 2019 and 2021.
Bravo Centurion is the second winner from Comme Ca (Authorized). Bansemer tapped into the family when paying $32,000 for second-dam Tease Me (Encosta de Lago) at the 2011 Magic Millions National Sale.
Tease Me had won at Sandown Hillside for Lindsay Park while third-dam Flashed (Fuji Kiseki) and fourth dam Bright Light (El Moxie) both won renewals of the LR Ottawa Stakes (1000m) at Flemington.
There are several feature sprints coming up on the Ascot calendar that would suit Bravo Centurion. They include the G3 Prince Of Wales Stakes (1000m) on November 2 and LR Colonel Reeves Stakes (1100m) on November 16.
Multiple Stakes-winner Admiration Express (My Admiration) is another Namerik-bred galloper with more black-type targets at The Pinnacles. Jason Miller trains her for a syndicate managed by his wife Sarah and they’ve nominated the mare for the G1 Railway Stakes (1600m) and G1 Northerly Stakes (1800m).