Brando: 'Kevin always maintained he was going to turn into a right beast'

Fans Favourites' is a weekly feature in the Racing Post Weekender in which we talk to those closest to racing's most popular horses and find out why they tug on our heartstrings. This week's subject: Brando.

In August of 2015 Peter Tingey was ready to walk away from racing. Two years before he had watched Astaire bloom into a dominant juvenile, with victories in the Gimcrack and Middle Park Stakes putting the cherry atop a superb campaign.

Now, he was receiving news that the same horse had died due to an incurable bout of colic. It was a hammer blow, one which Tingey concedes still affects him to this day.

"He maybe could have gone on to be a stallion, like so many of the horses he ran against," Tingey says. "It was a very difficult time after he died – if I'd have had my way I would have walked away from the sport then.

"It felt like we'd been kicked in the teeth by the sport and I just didn't want to do it anymore."

Tingey was talked out of the decision by his longtime partner Angie Bailey as well as Astaire's trainer Kevin Ryan, both of whom knew there was another horse ready to step into the void left by Astaire – Brando.

Now nearly six years after that fork-in-the-road moment, the son of Pivotal has won nine races, including the Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest and the Ayr Gold Cup.

Brando and Tom Eaves win the 2016 Ayr Gold CupCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Yet, more importantly for his owner, Brando has helped heal the deep wounds brought about by the passing of Astaire. "We never thought we would get another good one after Astaire, but then Brando came along – he has helped take a lot of the pain," Tingey says.

It is easy to see why. Brando has been a mainstay in the top sprint races since 2017, with his familiar hold-up tactics and barnstorming late surges making him a fond favourite among fans.

"We've had offers for Brando," Tingey says, "but we love horseracing and it's hard enough to find a good one anyway. We wanted to make proper horses out of them both ourselves and put our faith in Kevin to do that.

"It's so rare that you just find another one to fill the space that's been left by another. We've been so lucky to have several horses who have been superb, but it could so easily have been different. I was talking to a guy at York who had spent a million quid on six two-year-olds and was waiting to see if any of them were any good."

Brando was already a bull of a horse as a juvenile. Strong, muscular and blessed with natural speed, the son of Pivotal had to be gelded after his enormous growth became something of a concern for connections.

"He put on loads of muscle," Tingey remembers. "In the end we had to geld him because we were scared he was going to become too big. That was probably the making of him and soon after he won the Godfather Handicap at Haydock. From that moment he just went on and on and on.

"Kevin always had faith in him, even in the early years. He was a little bit backwards as a two-year-old but Kevin always maintained he was a horse who was going to turn into a right beast."

In his four-year-old season Brando's natural ability began to spring fully into bloom. He was touched off by a nose in the Wokingham at Royal Ascot, before dropping back to five furlongs to claim a first Pattern-level victory in the Coral Charge at Sandown.

His irresistible climb up the sprinting ladder was the perfect tonic for Tingey, still reeling from loss of Astaire the previous summer.

"At the tailend of his three-year-old season he started to flourish and I still remember being up at Ayr when won the Gold Cup," Tingey says. "We hatched a plan to try to win that race and it was just an unbelievable day.

"We have friends who live just outside Ayr and we were all there together to watch. That win came around a year after the death of Astaire and helped us move on."

Winning connections including Peter Tingey (second right), Angie Bailey (right) and trainer Kevin Ryan (left) after Brando’s 2016 Ayr Gold Cup winCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

A win in a big race like the Ayr Gold Cup often signifies the end of a horse’s career in handicaps. Tingey, Angie and Ryan were going to have to aim at the top now.

"When it came to Group 1s we just weren't sure because you're playing against blue-bloods then and eventually they always come out on top," Tingey continues. "But he was competitive as we took that step and if you look at some of the horses who have beaten him, narrowly on occasion, or that he's beaten – they're all stallions now."

That list has some big names on it. Harry Angel, US Navy Flag, Advertise and Caravaggio are just four of the stars Brando mixed it with in his pomp. On paper there was no way he should be mixing it in such lofty company, but there he was, race after race, hitting the frame and giving Tingey the thrill of his life.

After finishing third to Harry Angel in the 2017 July Cup, Brando was sent to Deauville for an audacious bid for the Prix Maurice de Gheest. Sent off 9-1, he was driven into the lead by Tom Eaves inside the final 150 yards and held on from subsequent Prix de la Foret winner Aclaim by half a length.

Brando

Age 9
Starts 49
Wins 9
Biggest wins Group 3 Coral Charge (2016); Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest (2017); Ayr Gold Cup (2016); Group 3 Abernant Stakes (2017, 2018);
Prize-money £1,123,704
Future targets Darley July Cup, Prix Maurice de Gheest

Brando with the plaques of his big-race wins at Kevin Ryan’s North Yorkshire yardCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Tingey speaks of what he says was one of the greatest days of his life.

He says: "We flew over for the day and went to Deauville with some friends. We were so well looked after there and I remember the manager of the owners' restaurant not taking any money off us for all the champagne we drank.

"You can't replace those memories. We chartered a private jet and we all piled back on to it once we'd pulled ourselves together after winning the race.

"We decided if we were going to do it we were going to do it in style. It was a tremendous journey back, although I can't remember a great deal about it."

Brando's ascent to being a Group 1 winner is impressive in itself, but it has been his ability, even at his advancing age, to stay competitive at the top level which sets him apart.

Since that breakthrough at Deauville he has won only twice but has finished second in the Duke of York Stakes, second in the July Cup, second in the Sprint Cup at Haydock, second in the Prix Maurice de Gheest and a heartbreaking second in the 2020 Champions Sprint at Ascot.

This is a sprinter of admirable consistency, whose toughness, quality and zest for racing at the age of nine are rare attributes to be found in Flat horses.

For Tingey, the Champions Sprint runner-up finish still hurts. Brando cut through the testing ground to produce his customary late surge in an attempt to snare Glen Shiel in the dying strides.

Brando (right) finishes a nose second to Glen Shiel in the Group 1 Champions Sprint at Ascot in 2020Credit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

"It's amazing how few disappointing runs we've had out of Brando," Tingey says. "The only day I can remember feeling really flat was on Champions Day last year when we thought he'd got up to win it. Part of the reason might have been that I'd backed him on Betfair at 120-1!

"He was sent off 80-1, which was mildly insulting really. The bookies took a bit of hammering on him I expect even though he didn't win. Six furlongs at Ascot on soft ground is almost his perfect set up. I don't think you'll see him priced up that big ever again.

"The funny thing about that day was that we didn't go because of Covid, but we gave our spare passes to Simon Turner, who runs Hambleton. We gave our badges to the owners of the horse who beat us – all a bit ironic, isn't it?"

The big looming question now facing all those associated with Brando is when to bring his marvellous career to a close. Not yet, says Tingey, who offers an explanation for the horse's below-par showing behind the brilliant Starman at York last time.

"He burst a blood vessel at York but was going really well at the time. He was full of it before the race and Tom was cruising before he ran into the problem," the owner says. "He's still really well and it's just one of those things. Kevin thinks he's come back better this year than last.

"For him still to be doing it now is amazing and I honestly think he'll go close to winning something big again this year. Kevin still wants to take him to France for another crack at the Prix Maurice de Gheest.

"He doesn't really have a lot of mileage on the clock for a horse of his age and I still think he's got a big one in him.

"If the ground is soft I'd love to have a go at the July Cup, but that will probably be too firm for him so Champions Day or the Sprint Cup at Haydock could be big afternoons to look forward to."

One thing Tingey and Bailey will not be doing is allowing their beloved Brando to slip down the handicap. As far as they're concerned he's a Group horse and will remain one until Father Time catches up and he is ushered off into hopefully a long and happy retirement.

"Myself and Angie are not prepared to let him go too far down the handicap," Tingey says. "With the history that he has we don't want to see him running in those races.

"He's done amazing things for us and he'll be kept going as long as he can compete in Group races. Ultimately the horse will let us know when he's done, as he's strong-willed. In fact if he was filly I'd say he'd be a proper little madam.

"I would say the chances of us getting another one like him, who could take us to the places he's taken us, are pretty slim. The memories that he's given us are irreplaceable."

Read more from our Fans' Favourites series:

Tropics: 'I saw something that day I hadn't seen much – he worked like a train'

Sole Power: 'He wasn't your normal horse – he was more box office than that'

Accidental Agent: the outsider who took on and beat racing elite at Royal Ascot

Duke Of Firenze: a white knuckle-ride with plenty of dash

Lord Glitters: the 'phenomenal' horse who likes to get into a bit of trouble

Kingsgate Native: 'We jumped in the pool and ordered some champagne'

Laurens: the gritty northern lass who blossomed into a Classic winner

Cockney Rebel: the dual Guineas winner who proved a life-changer

'Tidal Bay was so enigmatic we decided to give him a chance at everything'

Ryalux: a Scottish National star still going strong at the age of 28

Mad Moose: the serial refusenik who drove his team crazy and his fans wild

The Weekender is out every Wednesday and is available at all good stores. You can also download the edition from 9pm on Tuesday evening