Bruce keen to build on last season’s momentum

Jack Bruce has made a strong start to his four-year training career but remains focused on establishing himself among Queensland’s leading trainers.

The 36-year-old trainer produced his first winner of the new season when Grinzinger Champ scored at Doomben on August 1.

Expatriate New Zealander Bruce has prepared two stakes winners, with Axe taking the Listed Weetwood Handicap at Toowoomba in 2022 and Earn To Burn winning the Listed Queensland Day Stakes at Eagle Farm on June 6.

He recorded his best season last term when finishing ninth in the Brisbane trainers’ premiership with 28 wins at a 15.2 per cent strike-rate, while he was fifth in the Queensland premiership with 83.5 wins behind champion trainer Tony Gollan.

“It was a great season for the stable and I’m really pleased with the metropolitan season against trainers like Waller, Maher, Freedman and the Archibalds, all of whom are not based in Queensland,” Bruce told Racing Queensland.

“The goal is to cement myself in the top echelon of trainers and while it’s a long way off, last season was a good stepping stone.”

“It’s been another big achievement to win two stakes races with Earn To Burn and Axe, who was a $50,000 buy.”

Bruce prepared his second winner of the new season when Everybody Rise scored at Eagle Farm last Saturday and will take a three-horse team to Doomben seeking a third consecutive Saturday city winner.

Hong Kong-based-jockey James Orman will ride for Bruce on Saturday, partnering Razors in the Class 3 Plate, while Grinzinger Champ will again be among his leading chances in the Benchmark 78 Handicap over 1200 metres.