Joshua Brown to bounce back in Matamata Cup
Richard Edmunds • October 3rd, 2025 2:12 PM • 3 min read
Lance Gussey is hoping to put a last-start disappointment behind him when Joshua Brown lines up in the Listed Team Wealleans Matamata Cup (1600m) on Saturday.
Gussey trains and part-owns the Dalghar gelding, whose rise through the ranks during the winter months culminated in an impressive victory in the Listed Opunake Cup (1400m) at New Plymouth in July.
That performance earned Joshua Brown a shot at the Gr.2 Foxbridge Plate (1200m) at Te Rapa on August 23, but he never fired a shot and finished at the tail of the field.
“That was a pretty average performance and a long way below what he’s capable of,” Gussey said. “I think he just didn’t want to be there that day.
“He’s a real hot and cold horse. Sometimes he might have a little niggly thing that’s bothering him and you don’t even know about it, but he’ll just switch off and decide not to try at all.
“You could see it from the way he was behaving going down to the start and holding the race up.
“It’s just one of those things that can happen with horses, and especially a horse like him. We know he’s a lot better than that.”
The Foxbridge failure prompted Gussey to abandon any thought of pressing on towards the Gr.1 Howden Insurance Mile (1600m) at Te Rapa last Saturday, for which he was originally nominated. But pleasing progress in more recent weeks has set the six-year-old up for a return to black-type company this weekend.
“We gave him a couple of weeks off after the Foxbridge, and he’s been training extremely well since we brought him back in,” Gussey said. “He’s had another horse to work with, which seems to be helping him to focus and work better.
“I’m quite looking forward to getting him back to the races on Saturday.”
The Matamata Cup will be Joshua Brown’s second start over 1600m. His only previous attempt at the distance produced a second behind Drop Of Something in the Te Awamutu Cup on July 5.
“I definitely believe that going back up to 1600m will suit him, I think he prefers it to the shorter distances,” Gussey said.
“We did have him in the big 1600m race at Te Rapa last Saturday originally, but pulled him out after the Foxbridge. Now that he’s come back so well after his little break, there’s no reason not to give him a shot at a decent race like this.”
A potential factor in Joshua Brown’s favour is Matamata’s Heavy10 track. Joshua Brown has had six starts on heavy ground for three wins and two placings.
“We’ve been quite lucky with the way the weather’s been,” Gussey said. “I think he should handle it a bit better than some of the others. I hope so anyway.”
Joshua Brown will continue his partnership with jockey Lynsey Satherley, who has ridden him in 13 of his 14 career starts. They have combined to record four wins and three placings.
On Friday, the TAB rated Joshua Brown a $6 chance for the Matamata Cup, sharing favouritism with Aftermath. The others in single figures were My Lips Are Sealed ($6.50), Chantilly Lace ($8.50), Livid Sky ($8.50) and One Bold Cat ($9.50). – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
