Lady Brightside a runner on Anzac Day at Flemington

Despite her illustrious half-brother, Lady Brightside was a cheap purchase from the sales. She was seen by many to require too much patience to get the best out of her but connections are now starting to reap the dividends.

Given her pedigree, a half-brother to Group 1 star Mr Brightside, it was no surprise to see the horse racing bookmakers treat Lady Brightside with caution on her debut. She will be a much bigger price when she makes her second race start at Flemington on Friday afternoon.

Mr Brightside’s sister cost very little

Sales are always a fascinating ecosystem within the sport. It is something that is well worth attending if you have never been as you just have no idea who you might see go through the ring on any day.

While the likes of the upcoming broodmare sales will be full of names that we have all bet on down the years, the sales that are the most fascinating are those full of unraced horses. They are sales where bargains can be found if you look at things in a different way to others.

In general, those with pedigrees that contain Group 1 winners are going to make the money. That was not the case with Lady Brightside and she could be one that many are going to regret slipping through the cracks.

She was bought at a New Zealand sale back in 2023. Mr Brightside was already a Group 1 winner at that point but his half-sister lacked the shape and the physicality to think that she was going to be anything but a long-term prospect.

Her buyers have been happy to wait, not making her debut until March 21 of her three-year-old season before she was first seen in race action. Her half-brother has continued to improve as he has grown older so anything at this stage is a bonus for the owner's group with her.

A winning Cranbourne debut from Lady Brightside

That race debut was at Cranbourne in a 1400m maiden on a Soft 6 track. She was settled just off the speed, proving too strong for them when she was asked to make her effort. It is worth noting that for the grade and ground, she ran a solid time there.

Things are going to be much more difficult for her on Friday. The Flemington 1400m contest that she is entered in has a lot more depth. The pair who chased her home at Cranbourne were both roughies who have been well beaten since.

With a barrier draw wide out in 17, it is not a huge surprise that Lady Brightside is a roughie herself on her second start. This is going to be a good test for her, though even if she is not up to it at this stage, she is only going to get better with time.

Big brother is in Hong Kong this weekend

As we mentioned in a news piece last week, Mr Brightside is currently in Hong Kong. He is set to race in the Champions Mile on Sunday in a race where it would be disappointing if he does not make it into the first three past the post.

His exploits in the time since Lady Brightside was purchased have already added plenty to her future value once she is done with racing. Adding an International Group 1 to his domestic haul is going to put more on again. It could be a big weekend for both sets of connections with their Brightside runners.

There is a long way to go in the career of Lady Brightside. Connections are adamant that she’s still nowhere close to the finished article. Bigger and stronger next season, she is a four-year-old that both punters and the betting sites will want to keep onside.