Bravo Centurion looks to become one of the most inexperienced Winterbottom winners in history at start nine

The most inexperienced horse in Saturday’s Group 1 $1.5 million MCA Polytrack Winterbottom Stakes (1200m), Bravo Centurion will look to stand tall and announce himself against several hardened Eastern States invaders. On the final day of July, Bravo Centurion won his first race and now four months later on the last of November, the National Defense gelding will look to crown an unbeaten preparation with victory in WA’s premier sprinting contest. A rapid graduation through the grades reached a climax in the Prince Of Wales Stakes earlier this month, when the fleet-footed flier belted his Group-level rivals by four lengths in an exhibition of sheer speed. Though a $1.90 favourite, the manner of the victory surprised most, including jockey Chris Parnham. “We’ve seen him do that before in lesser company, but I didn’t expect him to do it the way he did it in that Group 3,” Parnham told TABradio. The win was trainer Luke Fernie’s first beyond Listed grade and following the romp, the young conditioner was content to give his charge a comfortable fortnight before brushing out the cobwebs in a Lark Hill hit-out on November 18. Under a vigorous Parnham ride, Bravo Centurion scored a workmanlike victory without the same dynamic authority as two weeks previous. But with Fernie suggesting it was merely a maintenance workout and there would be improvement to come, supporters were hardly dismayed and have backed the four-year-old from $14 to $9.50 on TABtouch following the barrier draw where he was given gate 15 of 16. “He only knows one way Bravo, so he’ll be ridden for speed,” Parnham said. “The barrier is not ideal but with Overpass drawn out with me, we’ll both come out pretty positively and hopefully we can get a nice run and hit the line like he has been. “I can’t see why he can’t do it again and I’m pretty confident he’ll run out the 1200m strongly.” Bravo Centurion has faced the 1200m just once in his eight-start career, holding off his Class 1 rivals at Pinjarra to win by a length in his second success of the sequence. Parnham is under no illusion of the herculean task ahead of the young tyro, with dual Quokka champion and last year’s Winterbottom winner Overpass the $3.40 favourite. Along with 2021 Railway victor Western Empire ($3.80) and this year’s Canterbury Stakes collector Lady Laguna ($5), there is true Group 1 ability present in the fied. “It’s a big test for him – there’s no doubt it’s his biggest test to date – but he’s risen to the occasion each time we’ve raised the bar for him,” Parnham said. “It’s obviously a hot line-up as you’d expect in a Group 1, but I’m pretty happy with him going in and certainly wouldn’t swap him for any locals.”