Exciting Times In Vince Curry

THOSE that steamed into regally bred youngster Exciting Times on debut at Ipswich on Saturday night in the heats of the Group 2 Vince Curry Memorial (520m) clearly did so without the counsel of his trainer Tony Brett.

Heavily backed from $1.70 into a $1.33 late in betting, the sensationally bred son of Dyna Double One and Clockwise was a dominant nine-length heat winner in 30.73, a performance that in part, surprised the leading Queensland conditioner.

"He really exceeded my expectations – I couldn't have taken that price," said a blunt Brett on Thursday.

"Don't get me wrong he's a really nice pup but he's still a work in progress. I haven't pushed him along and to be honest he surprised me with how well he went for where he's at.

"Like a lot of Dyna Double One's he can get a bit worked up and I thought from box seven in a late race on debut he had a bit going against him. There's a bit of him as well but I was really pleased with the progress he showed. Saturday was his first ever 520m run as well so to see him finish off like he did was very encouraging, we've got a bit to work with I think."

Owned in partnership by George Kairouz and Terry Hill, Exciting Times is a half-brother to their two-time group 1 winner Fast Times, the son of Barcia Bale now standing at stud after being retired late last year due to injury.

"It's hard to compare the two because Fast Times just had it right from the start, he was something pretty special right from the get go," declared Brett.

"Not many dogs break a track record at their first start like he did at Lismore and then come and run 30.06 at Ipswich. I'd say this dog is more like a Thirty Talks if I had to put a label on him – showing ability but still has a lot to learn. If he keeps stepping it up he can furnish into a really nice dog, so far so good."

Exciting Times' impressive debut on Saturday night was another feather in the cap of dam Clockwise, 24 hours on from Demolition Duke finishing a narrow second in the Richmond Cannonball Final (400m).

So far, her progeny have won in excess of 80 races and almost $400,000 in prizemoney.

"A couple of years back I was at the Richmond Riches with Fast Times and I ran into John Carruthers who told me he had another litter out of Clockwise. I mentioned it to Terry and George straight after and by the time we left the races that night they'd bought five or six of them," informed Brett.

Brett is no stranger to victory in the Group 2 Vince Curry, in fact he's the only trainer that can lay claim to winning the $40,000 to-the-winner event twice in the one series.

"Yes – we dead-heated a few years back (2016) with Split Image and Paua To Avoid so you can look at it like that. Before that I think I'd finished second four times so it was good to get one in the bag. Dad won one as well, it's always been a great race with plenty of great dogs," added Brett.

"I haven't had a good look at his semi-final on Saturday but he's had a good week at home and I expect him to improve with the experience from Saturday.

"He does have speed and he's really started settling down in the boxes and they're the kind of things you like to see young dogs learn early on. He's heading in the right direction.

"There's some hot dogs going around but he definitely has a lot of upside."