The only person at the skeleton-staffed track (and watching on TV) not surprised was Tatura trainer Belinda Dunn.
She said the veteran had done absolutely everything right in the lead up to a race that was meant to be at Kilmore before the meeting was transferred to Echuca — putting it in her backyard.
Although she said Broccolo was still a “tricky horse to catch, but today he was great”.
She said the horse was now getting longer-than-usual breaks between runs because he tends to get a bit hot.
A condition she said was pretty obvious, even in the mounting yard before a race.
“He actually worked a bit this morning, which I think helped a hell of a lot,” Dunn said.
“So I thought he would run well, and his gallop on Thursday was enormous, so we were very, very confident.
“I talked with Jye and said to try and stay on the rail as much as possible — he is a better horse on the fence — and he hates to come out, he just wants to run about a little bit, so the run actually suited him really well today.”
Dunn said after the race McNeil reported the inside running was a lot better than he thought it would be.
She also had plenty of praise for her horse — the six-year-old gelding has now won seven races for her and she is expecting a few more in the future.
The win also gave McNeil a more immediate boost — after winning the seventh he backed up on High Emocean in the last of the day (the $20 000 Independent Cranes Handicap over 2100 m) for a winning double.
Earlier jockey Michael Dee also showed he was on the ball from the get-go; riding Echuca trainer Rhys Archard’s She Zed So to the first win of her career before teaming with Paddy Payne to take out the $20 700 Moama Bowling Club Plate over 1100 m on Snifter.
It was also a day for the bookies — only one of the nine races went to a favourite and just one other to a short priced starter. In the other seven; dividends repeatedly hit double figures with Broccolo the biggest payout on the day.
