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Jockey Ethan Brown has day to remember at Cranbourne, taking home both features including inaugural Meteorite

Hayden KingThe West Australian
Ethan Brown riding Nadal to the win in the Meteorite.
Camera IconEthan Brown riding Nadal to the win in the Meteorite. Credit: Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images

The unstoppable run of trainer Ciaron Maher continued in Saturday’s inaugural running of the $1 million Ladbrokes Meteorite (1200m), with progressive four-year-old Nadal leaving his rivals with no match.

The son of Xtravagant, a $4.60 TABtouch elect, was restrained back towards the tail of the field and settled in third-last place, while roughie Philosopher ($61) worked hard to eventually clear the pack.

Approaching the 600m, Nadal had been shuffled to last but had now get clear aim out three wide but still seven lengths from the lead.

Jockey Ethan Brown eventually probed his way into daylight at the 200m mark and the gelding exploded, blitzing past Rey Magnerio ($6.50) and Baraqiel ($3.10) as though they were stuck to the fence and romping away for a two-and-three-quarter length victory.

After an unlucky last run at Flemington, Nadal showed his true potential off a strongly run gallop and delighted stable representative Adrian Joyce.

“Ethan has to get a lot of the credit because they went very hard, and he had to come from a long way back,” Joyce said.

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Ethan Brown is all smiles.
Camera IconEthan Brown is all smiles. Credit: Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images

“He decided, obviously as he was in the run, he didn’t want to pull out wide and come with that long-range run, so he waited, and he just got the splits, and he gave him a super ride.

“He came back in this prep, a different horse, stronger, moving really well and he’s just kept improving.

“We’ve always had a lot of faith in him. He’s a really nice horse and a beautiful individual as well.”

Lightly-raced six-year-old Globe took out the Listed $500,000 Ladbrokes Cranbourne Cup (1600m) after a previous runner-up second to Light Infantry Man in the Chester Manifold Stakes at his most recent appearance.

With the theme of the day having an on-speed advantage, Globe ($4.40) was rushed forward to lead by Ethan Brown and staved off all-comers to win by a neck from Air Assault ($5.50) to give the hoop a memorable double.

“I knew I was on a fit horse to have it up the tempo a long way out and try and break them, and that’s what happened,” Brown said.

“I was gritting my teeth; I knew it was going to be tight because, obviously, he did set a nice enough tempo, and I did get rolling on him early.”

The day capped a remarkable week for Brown who only a week ago won his fifth Group 1 aboard Another Prophet in the Thousand Guineas.

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