Sent to the paddock! Gun sprinter’s spring is over

Briasa’s co-trainer Wayne Hawkes has confirmed that the gun sprinter’s spring is over as he has been sent to the paddock.

Just a month ago, Wayne’s brother, Michael, reported that the grey had returned “bigger, stronger, and better” for the spring.

Now, the six-year-old’s spring prep is over before it even started!

“Briasa’s actually in the paddock,” Hawkes told SENTrack & RSN’s Giddy Up.

“He had a little mishap, nothing major, but just enough to go 'we're done'.

“It certainly does (suck). That was my best horse gone. You win some, you lose some.”

Hawkes revealed the stable was planning to run the son of Smart Missile first-up in the Premiere Stakes (1200m) on Saturday at Randwick, before racing second-up in the $20 million Everest (1200m), and finishing on the Flemington straight in the Champions Sprint (1200m).

“We were going to run in the Premiere,” said Hawkes.

“Second-up was going to be in The Everest.

“And then I really wanted to bring him to Melbourne and run him up the straight (in the Champions Sprint) to see how he'd run up the straight.”

Briasa’s last race was a fourth-place finish in the Group 1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) in April.