Cups for a Kiwi
Nick Quinn • July 8th, 2025 7:09 PM
Kiwi trainers David and Emma-Lee Browne are coming off an amazing season and they are looking to continue the momentum into 2025/26 and are dreaming of winning the greatest race of all, the Melbourne Cup.
Now based at Pakenham, the stable has secured a start in the $8 million Lexus Melbourne Cup to be run at Flemington on Tuesday November 4 with Basilinna.
Knight’s Choice and Prince Of Penzance showed Pakenham trainer Emma-Lee Browne that anything is possible in a Melbourne Cup.
Basilinna secured a golden ticket into the Melbourne Cup with a 1.25 length victory in the Andrew Ramsden Stakes as a $17 chance.
She is $67 the win and $17.50 the place with Ladbrokes in early Melbourne Cup betting.
As well as having Melbourne Cup aspirations, the stable is confident of a bounce back preparation for mare Pondalowie.
Pondalowie has some high-profile owners, she is part owned by one of Australia’s leading goalkeepers Fraser MacLaren who is currently applying his craft for Beaumaris and one of the countries brightest young managers in David “Gibbo” Gibson, who has been described as the nations next Ange Postecoglou.
Pondalowie is back in work after what was described as a “muddling campaign.” by Browne.
She is now reportedly bigger and stronger and will look to get over more ground this preparation.
Popular gallopers Le Zebra and Rhinoceros ran the quinella in the Bairnsdale Cup (1600 metres) and are both primed for big springs.
Le Zebra, the winner of the Bairnsdale Cup is heading to pre training and the campaign grand final is the $500,000 Carnival Country Final (1600m) at Flemington on November 6.
Rhinoceros back in work and will have a campaign targeting the country cups.
The stable has plenty of live chances this spring.
Statuario had a terrific campaign winning the Listed Elvis Thurgood Galilee Series Final (2400 metres) at Caulfield before running second in the Group 1 SA Derby and he is about to resume and will target good tracks.
Another promising staying type Scary, is back in work after missing the autumn Derby’s with a virus and the stable reported that he is looking awesome.
“We have a top group of young horses headed by McGaw, Just Kick and Gabor and hopefully we can have another wildcard or two emerge” Browne said.
