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Group victory powers Cup hope across Tasman
Paul Vettise, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk • February 20th, 2026 2:00 pm
Brayden Star will contest the Gr.3 Eagle Technology Avondale Cup (2400m) at Ellerslie on Saturday. Photo: Bruno Cannatelli
A career high performance from Brayden Star last spring set the wheels in motion for the stayer’s current two-start New Zealand campaign.
The Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young-trained seven-year-old went to a new level when successful in the Gr.2 Herbert Power Handicap (2400m) at Caulfield in October which forced connections to eye offshore opportunities.
Brayden Star will take aim at the first of those in Saturday’s Gr.3 Eagle Technology Avondale Cup (2400m) with a return to Ellerslie for his main aim, the Gr.2 Trackside Auckland Cup (3200m) on Champions’ Day on March 7.
“He won the Herbert Power and that put his rating right up to the top of his ability level,” Busuttin said.
“It’s made it very hard to place him here in Australia, it was a half a-million-dollar race, so we were very happy to win it obviously, but with that he’s gone up to carry topweight in Australia.”
A desire to test Brayden Star over 3200m was another compelling factor to cross the Tasman.
“He was one of the horses that was scratched out of the (2024) Melbourne Cup (Gr.1, 3200m) due to their policies, so he was never going to be in the Cup last year and we’re keen to try the horse over two miles,” Busuttin said.
“The Sydney Cup (Gr.1, 3200m) was the next aim, but with his rating it’s too tough for him and the Avondale Cup and Auckland Cup are offering fantastic stake money.
“If the horse runs up to his Herbert Power rating, they are certainly winnable races for him.”
It’s not new territory for Busuttin, who prepared Sangster to complete the double in 2013 prior to him relocating to his current Cranbourne base.
Opie Bosson rode Savabeel’s son in both races and will guide Brayden Star’s fortunes on Saturday.
“To me, Opie is the best rider New Zealand and has been for some time and we’re obviously rapt to get him,” Busuttin said.
Brayden Star travelled to New Zealand without incident last week and follows a path of a younger stablemate 12 months ago.
“He’s staying at Shaune Ritchie’s property at Cambridge, and we did the same last year with Thedoctoroflove, who won the Avondale Guineas (Gr.2, 2100m)) and ran second in the New Zealand Derby (Gr.1, 2400m),” Busuttin said.
“Brendan Hawtin has been working with us as Assistant Trainer for the last five years and he’s gone over with the horse again. It’s the same recipe, Thedoctoroflove ran very well and hopefully this horse does as well.”
The stable will also aim for stakes success closer to home on Saturday with Immediacy in the Listed Sportsbet Victoria Gold Cup (2000m) at Caulfield.
The Cambridge Stud-bred son of Tarzino resumed on the course off a long break last time out when second in the Gr.3 Carlyon Cup (1600m).
“He was fantastic first-up, the spring didn’t pan out for him and didn’t race but he had been in work a fair while going into that race,” Busuttin said.
“He was looking good going into it, we thought he would run well and he did.
“If he runs up to that level he probably wins on Saturday, the only concern is the two-week turnaround off a fairly long break. In a perfect world it would be three weeks between races.”
