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Deagon trainer Jack Bruce says former Victorian sprinter Denied was never going to be a star in her adopted state of Queensland but concedes the rising five-year-old mare has surprised him.
Denied – a Tahlia Fenlon mount – will be chasing her fifth win at her eighth start for Bruce when she lines up in the Class Six Plate over 1400 metres at Eagle Farm on Wednesday.
The daughter of American sire No Nay Never started her career in Melbourne with Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr before being sent north after only one win from nine starts in the south.
She had her last start for the Victorian co-trainers finishing fifth in a Benchmark race at Pakenham in April of 2023 before debuting for Bruce on the Gold Coast Polytrack when second in a 1200m Class One on March 2.
"She's partly owned by Tom Sheahan who is the racing manager for Mick Price and Michael Kent," Bruce said.
"They bought her as a yearling and syndicated her with Import Racing and she came to me with one win in nine starts.
"I was getting ready to trial her when she bled so she had the mandatory three-month break and ever since she's come back she's done well."
Bruce rated her unlucky not to win at her first start for the stable when she finished second on the Polytrack at the Gold Coast on March 2.
"She went back and won well on the poly track next start then she raced in town at Eagle Farm on a wet track and didn't handle the going," he said.
Bruce sent her back to the Gold Coast Polytrack after her city defeat to gain confidence again.
"We sent her back to the Polytrack so she could get her confidence back after her city defeat and then she went bang, bang, bang at her next three starts," he said.
Denied is backing up after finishing second to Atlantic Ocean in a 1350-metre Benchmark race at Doomben last Wednesday.
"She's backed-up in the past so the quick seven-day turnaround shouldn't be a problem," Bruce said.
Bruce has no major plans in mind for Denied and will decide her future in the coming weeks.
"I want to get through this winter carnival period and hopefully she'll measure up to a Saturday race in the off season," he said.
