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Cruz and Chadwick throw down the gauntlet

Star apprentice Matthew Chadwick swooshed past yet another milestone in his mercurial career, while his master Tony Cruz threw down the gauntlet to rival trainers for the coming season's championship race.

Cruz is one of the trainers feared this season by his fellow title contenders and a treble from seven runners showed why, as Chadwick steered home Brave Spirit in the third race, then an otherwise undistinguished Class Four win by All Time High, an hour and a half later took Chadwick to 45 wins in a career still only nine months old.

That sliced his weight allowance from seven pounds to five as of Wednesday's Happy Valley fixture before he began to make inroads into that allowance level too by adding Terrific Brethren in race nine.

It was third time lucky for Brave Spirit, who had run as a hot favourite at his two prior starts late last season but, like All Time High, wore blinkers for the first time and the lightly raced four-year-old's waywardness began to dissolve.

'Even with the blinkers on, he didn't concentrate completely again today,' Cruz said of Brave Spirit. 'But I thought he would be better in them and he was a fairly convincing winner at the finish. I'm sure that there is still some more improvement ahead for this horse with more experience.'

All Time High arrived as Group-placed horse from Australia, but Cruz outlined the myriad problems which have beset the gelding since and led to him landing his maiden yesterday at start number 34.

'He probably should have been a much better horse than a Class Four winner, but he's had a serious pharyngeal paralysis and joint problems and has never been able to show his true ability,' he said. 'This time we had him right and they left him alone in the lead and the blinkers made him concentrate. He's won quite comfortably in the end.'

By contrast with the other two, Terrific Brethren has probably exceeded all expectations.

After taking his usual front-running role, Terrific Brethren looked to be headed off by longshot Viva Fighter at the 200m before fighting back to score a short-head victory in a performance which has become his trademark in seven wins from 15 starts.

'He's simple to ride and has a big heart and he seems to only do just enough to win so we keep the handicapper on our side,' said Cruz.

It was the gelding's fourth win over 1,400m, but he has proved just as adept on the dirt mile.

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