ALEXANDER'S STRIKE IN AUSTRALIA

Gary and Dean Alexander came up with their first winner in Australia when their charge Brazen Force won at Morphettville on Saturday.

Under a strong ride from South African born hoop Barend Vorster, the gelding made all in Saturday’s Gary Radford Oam Memorial-Bm 60 (1950m) to win by a neck.

Owned by Alexander Bloodline in partnership with prominent South African owners Laurence and Jarryd Wernars, Brazen Force is a five-year-old gelded son of Brazen Beau and the Octagonal mare Apocrypha.

He has now won twice from 15 starts, having previously been trained by Kris Lees and, prior to that, by Mick Price and Michael Kent.

Gary Alexander trained in South Africa for three decades, with his 1500 plus winners including such standout performers champion Ruby Clipper, G1 SA Classic winner Pierre Jourdan, the lightning fast Tommy Hotspur, star filly Icy Air, and multiple G1 winner Drum Star.

Thoroughbred Racing South Australia pulled off the coup in getting Alexander to Australlia by persuading the South African pair to head to the new training centre at Murray Bridge rather than one of the more popular training facilities in Melbourne and Sydney.

Gary Alexander first started training in 1982 having been destined to do so as the son of jockey-turned-trainer Duncan. Training out of Turffontein, he has saddled more than 100 Group and listed winners and more than 1500 winners in total during his illustrious career.

Images: Atkins Photography