Kropp looks to Our Brave Lini for upset in The Roses

By Glenn Davis

It took a single slingshot for David to slay Goliath.

Toowoomba trainer William Kropp now find himself cast as David after his filly Our Brave Lini snuck into the field for the Group 2 The Roses at Doomben on Saturday.

Our Brave Lini was walking a tightrope to gain a start after being named first emergency in the field of 16.

She gained a start when connections of Sydney filly Boomeroo preferred to stay at home for the Civil Handicap at Randwick on Saturday.

While it took a sling shot for David to bring down Goliath, Kropp is hoping a wet track will help Our Brave Lini cause an upset in the 2000-metre feature.

Our Brave Lini is a rank outsider at $101 in The Roses behind $5 favourite Chispa and is similar odds for the Group 1 Queensland Oaks at Eagle Farm on June 6.

A daughter of Heroic Valour, Our Brave Lini wasn’t considered a Queensland Oaks candidate until she won her maiden over 1950 metres at Ipswich on May 9.

It was her second start on a soft track after she finished second on a wet track in a maiden at Doomben in mid-December last year.

“I wasn’t even thinking about the Oaks until she won so well at Ipswich on a soft track,” Kropp said.

“She came from well back that day and she was six to eight lengths off them with only 200 metres to go.

“She just went bang and if she didn’t do that, I wouldn’t have proceeded with an Oaks campaign.”

Our Brave Lini races with blinkers and will defy her pedigree if she causes a boilover in The Roses.

Her mother, Miss Imagica, won two Listed Weetwood Handicaps over 1200 metres at Toowoomba in 2012 and 2013 for trainer Michal Nolan and never won past 1300 metres.

“Her mother was a good sprinter and never raced past 1400 metres but she doesn’t know that,” Kropp said.

Kropp admits he’s not a punter and hasn’t yet taken her odds in the Queensland Oaks.

“I don’t have a bet very often but I have had two winners at 100-1 and I didn’t back either,” he said.

“This filly was a bit frustrating early in her career when we ran her around 1400 metres.

“She’s a big girl who is slowly putting it together but early days she just wanted to get back and settle.”

Kropp is convinced Our Brave Lini will run a strong 2000 metres and will relish a wet track in the heavy range.

“She might be a roughie but she’s learning to settle and she’s got a big set of lungs,” he said.

“She should see out the trip and she’s got a good turn of foot.”

Kropp is looking forward to The Roses and hopefully the Queensland Oaks as he’s only had one Group 1 starter when Sweet Pretender finished in front of one runner in the JJ Atkins at Eagle Farm last year.

“He felt the track that day and the only other chance I’ve had of having a Group 1 starter was with Prince Levi in the Doomben Cup on Saturday, but I decided not to accept with him,” Kropp said.