Winning Return Nearly Two Years In The Making

POTENTIAL superstar No Easy Beat burst back into the spotlight after a 21-month break from racing when he won a Bundaberg 460m Masters-5th Grade on Monday.

The son of Zambora Brockie and Lilly Sur Seine led virtually throughout to win by five lengths for owner-trainer Kevin Bryant as the $1.50 favourite following a remarkable 641 days on the sidelines.

Bryant had given up hope of ever bringing him back to racing after three times damaging his back muscles, once on the offside which initially forced him out of racing, and twice on the near side when galloping in competition with pups on Bryant's property at Tiaro, almost three hours north of Brisbane.

Monday's outing was his first start since injuring himself for the first time at Albion Park on October 24, 2019 when at the “Winx-like odds” of $1.12 when trained by Rusty Dillon.

Dillon sent the dog home to Bryant after a failed stud career and Kevin used a “secret recipe” rubbed daily on the dog's back muscles and free galloping alongside pups to slowly but surely bring him back to the track.

In two 460m stewards' clearance trials he had equalled, then smashed the Bundaberg track record.

“When he started to gallop freely again and showed me he might be a chance to race again I had to approach Racing Queensland again to get him cleared,” Bryant said.

He was more relieved than excited that No Easy Beat had returned to racing successfully.

“I'm better now that it is out of the way,” he said. “But his comeback is one day at a time.

“There is fifth grade heats over 550 metres coming up in a couple of weeks at Bundaberg and he can go in those depending on if he checks out alright after today's run.”

Bryant said he was more nervous for the dog than himself going into Monday's race.

“Every win is a thrill,” he said. “Your last win is just as good as your first.”

He believes the winning time of 26.12 had a bit more in it.

“He was a bit unsettled in the kennels being his first run for so long and the fact he was in race 10,” he said. “And, then he crashed into the red dog out of the boxes which would have taken a bit off him time as well.”

Bryant has been battling illness himself.

“I had a heart bypass in October 2019 and then on and off again health problems since then,” he said. 

“I had a stint in hospital recently and it took me six weeks just to get over the hospital stay.”

Kevin said he would continue to train No Easy Beat himself.

“After the fifth grade series over 550 metres, we will probably look to go back top Albion Park with him,” he said.

“But it is one day at a time with him.”

No Easy Beat was the subject of a huge offer when he first started racing and won at Albion Park in 29.60.

He has now won seven of 14 starts with $34,000 in prizemoney.