Trainer Jack Bruce would be disappointed if ex-Godolphin gelding Razors doesn’t win in stable debut at Eagle Farm
Queensland trainer Jack Bruce admits he is feeling some pre-race nerves as former Godolphin galloper steps out for his new trainer as a $1.50 favourite at Eagle Farm.
Ex-Godolphin galloper Razors is poised to be the shortest-priced favourite that Jack Bruce has saddled up in a metropolitan race when he steps out for his new trainer at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
And the trainer said he will “have sweaty palms” as he will be hugely disappointed if the former James Cummings-trained gelding doesn’t start his new career in Brisbane racing with a win.
On Friday morning, TAB had Razors as the $1.50 favourite to score the Class 3 Plate over 1400m.
“I would be very disappointed if he wasn’t getting the chocolates on Saturday,” Bruce said.
“I will have sweaty palms, you will be thinking you will have never seen this bloke this nervous before.
“But from what this horse has shown me, he deserves to be really short in the betting market.
“My racing manager and I were going through the shortest-priced runners that I had trained that we could recall.
“Galifianakis won his maiden on the Gold Coast one day and then I backed him up a week later and he saluted at $1.30.
“And Vindicta broke his maiden at $1.24 on the Sunshine Coast.
“But this will be the first time I have had a metropolitan runner start this short in betting.
“I don’t think I have trained a horse that has started less than $2 in a metropolitan race.”
Cummings, who has left Godolphin to take up a training position in Hong Kong, got two wins out of Razors in 17 starts.
Queenslanders will remember Razors for finishing runner-up behind Kintyre in the Group 2 Queensland Guineas last year.
It’s not the first time Bruce has pounced on an ex-Godolphin horse, scoring two wins and another couple of placings with Atmosphere since that galloper came into his stable.
“I am always keen to look at these ex-Godolphin horses because they have a level of ability that is going to be competitive in Brisbane racing,” Bruce said.
“They are great pick ups for me, I have previously had a good bit of luck with Atmosphere out of a dispersal sale and I wanted to go again.”
With in-form jockey Ben Thompson on board, Razors should have few excuses if he gets beaten.
The five-year-old gelding starts his new racing career with Bruce with a good level of fitness under the bonnet.
“There’s no certainties in racing and Razors needs to go out and get the job done,” Bruce said.
“But from what I’ve seen of him, he is a classy horse and he is one of the highest rated horses I currently have.
“I am in a luxurious position where he has already been given a big spell, he is basically third up, James Cummings gave him two runs before they sold him.
“I am getting him early in his preparation with some good racing to come.”
Bruce aims to set up Razors for a tilt at next year’s Queensland winter carnival and in the shorter-term he could potentially consider having a crack at the Weetwood Handicap in Toowoomba next month.
Article originally published on 8th August 2025 via News.com.au