2025 BRC Sprint: War Machine books Stradbroke Handicap berth with dominant win
With the race offering a golden ticket into next month's Stradbroke, War Machine was sent out the well-backed $2.40 favourite and did the business under Blake Shinn.
It was the icing on the Doomben cake for Shinn who not long earlier had won a record-breaking fourth Group 1 Doomben Cup, riding Queensland freak Antino to glory.
War Machine's BRC Sprint triumph prompted bookmakers to elevate the four-year-old – who had been trained by the late Mike Moroney prior to his death – to outright $5 Stradbroke favourite.
Lindsay Park founder Colin Hayes never won the Stradbroke Handicap, nor did his son David but grandsons Ben, Will and JD Hayes will now chase Queensland's biggest race.
'That was an unbelievable effort by the horse,' JD Hayes said.
'We've only had him a short time.
'He came in incredible condition from Ballymore and we've been very lucky to inherit him.
'It looked like we'd get a beautiful run from the barrier and he's let down well.
'He had his ears pricked on the line and we're really looking forward to the Stradbroke.'
A race-to-race double for @blake_shinn as War Machine wins the last at Doomben in impressive fashion! @lindsayparkrace pic.twitter.com/5I1jEbJDh9
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) May 24, 2025
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Man of the moment Shinn paid tribute to the late Moroney.
'I had a little bit to do with this horse when Mike Moroney trained him and he did a great job nurturing him in his early days,' Shinn said.
'The Hayes boys are the beneficiary of that.
'If he runs in the Straddy, I think he'll be hard to beat.'
While War Machine was dominant, Far Too Easy also stood up to be counted in finishing runner-up and Murwillumbah trainer David McColm indicated a Stradbroke mission was on the cards.
Far Too Easy is the fairytale horse who has survived deadly floods and bacterial infections and surged to glory in last year's $2m The Kosciuszko at Randwick.
He has since produced a couple of lacklustre runs but his BRC Sprint effort was much better and his rating will almost certainly get him a Stradbroke berth.
'The winner was too good today but I thought my horse's effort was great,' McColm said.
'He did what we know he can do.
'Assuming he goes to the Stradbroke, the weight difference in that race will be a big difference for him.
'He needed to do something today to go towards the Stradbroke.
'We had been disappointed with his last two runs but we have had a lot of wet weather in New South Wales and it's been a hard slog these last six months
'I think we have got him back.'
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