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By Ray Hickson

The numbers 7699 against Brutality’s name in the form guide might have some questioning just how well he’s going but trainer Joe Pride says it’s plain to see he has the gelding flying ahead of Saturday’s $1 million The Gong (1600m) at Kembla Grange.

Trainer Joe Pride (Pic: Bradley Photos)

Brutality has been a regular sectional star as he’s warmed up for the first of Pride’s two goals for the preparation and those are the numbers the trainer cares about as he steps into his preferred distance range for the first time this spring.

First-up in the Group 2 Premiere Stakes (1200m), Punter’s Intelligence shows he clocked a race best 12.06 for his last 200m; in the Group 3 Sydney Stakes (1200m) he was easily the fastest home running 34.20 for his last 600m and in the Nature Strip Stakes (1300m) he produced the second fastest last 600m of the meeting (33.49).

“It’s the reverse of what you’d normally see but everybody knows he’s been in races that haven’t suited him,’’ Pride said.

“It’s a nice little drop in grade and up in distance job on some of the opposition he’s been facing of late. He’s got a great profile for this race.

“He’s a horse who takes racing to get to his peak. If there’d been a 1400m race in his last two runs I would have run him in them.

“His profile tells you he’s going to be peaking on Saturday. He’s had the preparation to peak and getting his shades back on is a big bonus.”

Brutality is on the seven day back up after finishing ninth in The Hunter (1300m) at Newcastle, no sectionals were available for that race but he pleased Pride working home from well back to be beaten just over four lengths by Vilana.

Pride is making that significant gear change of the blinkers going on now the six-year-old, $8 with TAB on Thursday, is stepping up in distance and is banking on the big field generating a solid tempo.

“(The Hunter) was a race that favoured on pace horses. He was back, not cluttered up but it wasn’t the perfect scenario for him,’’ he said.

“As it turned out it was a nice lead up to this so I am very happy with what I saw last week.

“When he won the Villiers (last year) it was quick, he’s going to like what he encounters.

"It’s going to be a race run to suit and he’s just going to need a bit of luck as they always do.”

A defence of his Villiers crown, with the race now worth $2 million and renamed The Ingham, at Randwick on December 10 is on the cards for Brutality assuming he pleases on Saturday.

“He struggles a bit in the heat of a carnival so you’ve got to look at the off season and this is his time of year,’’ Pride said.

The Warwick Farm trainer was rapt with the return of Mach Schnell on the Big Dance program earlier this month and is expecting the former Kiwi to improve into the Evergreen Turf Handicap (1400m).

Brutality's run in The Hunter at Newcastle

Mach Schnell was beaten just over two lengths by the unbeaten Norwegian Bliss and his last 200m of 11.61, second only to the winner, pleased Pride.

“I thought it was a good run and sets him up nicely for a second-up run at 1400m which is about his right trip,’’ he said.

“It was a typical run of a horse looking for a little bit further. He didn’t get home like a shot out of a gun but just worked really nicely to the line.”

Pride said a decision on whether Zoushack runs in the ABAX Contracting Handicap (1600m) will be made on Friday, after the horse didn't appreciate a firm track in his last start failure he wants to assess the firmness of the Kembla track.

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Kembla Grange meeting