Bruce chasing first Group 1 glory with Highgrove Rose

By Glenn Davis

Jack Bruce is only four years into his training career and is excited about saddling his first Group 1 starter when Highgrove Rose tackles the Queensland Oaks at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

For Bruce, it’s been a long and winding road to get Highgrove Rose to her final destination in the 2000 metre feature.

And, now he’s hopeful the stars are finally aligning for Highgrove Rose to give him his biggest career win.

His best win so far was with Axe in the Listed Weetwood Handicap in 2022.

“It’s a great feeling to have a Group 1 starter so early in my career,” Bruce said.

“It’s especially so because I bought this filly as a yearling and put some clients into her.”

Bruce originally planned to run Highgrove Rose in the Group 2 The Roses at Doomben last month, but pulled the pin early due to a heavy track rating at the time.

Bruce was disappointed to miss The Roses, especially when the Doomben track later dried out sufficiently to be in the soft range by race day.

Highgrove Rose won at the Gold Coast Polytrack on May 16, but after missing The Roses, Bruce took the low road to try to qualify her for the Queensland Oaks.

She finished second when taken to the Doomben midweeks for a 2200 metre Benchmark race on May 27 and earned enough prizemoney to qualify for the Queensland Oaks.

“Her win at the Gold Coast was awesome and her run at Doomben was also very good when she was held up and put in a pocket by the eventual winner," Bruce said.

“But, once she got out, she was powerful to the line, which was a good sign going into the Oaks.”

Bruce has always had a good opinion of Highgrove Rose, whose mother, Chintz, raced with distinction in New Zealand.

Highgrove Rose was still a maiden when she contested her first stakes race at only her second start in the Listed Bill Carter Stakes at Doomben in May last year.

She finished a game sixth before running in the Listed Show A Heart at Eagle Farm two weeks later.

Bruce has always felt her pedigree would eventually shine through and after a spell he gradually stepped her up in distance to 1800 metres for the first time in the Group 3 Grand Prix at Eagle Farm last December.

Her effort to finish fourth behind Matias in the Grand Prix encouraged Bruce to embark on a Queensland Oaks campaign. 

“She ran a really good race in the Grand Prix after being held up on the corner,” he said.

Bruce has 47 horses in work at his two stables at Deagon and Eagle Farm and is yet to book a jockey for Highgrove Rose.

“There’s a few balls in the air at the moment, but it’s a Group 1 race in the middle of the carnival, so there’ll be plenty of jockeys looking for a ride in a Group 1 now that she’s gained a start,” he said.

Highgrove Rose is a $34 outsider for the Group 1 Queensland Oaks behind $4.50 favourite Chispa.