Mr Brightside’s Cox Plate campaign officially got underway on Monday morning when the seven-year-old had his first jumpout for the spring at Flemington.
The six-time Group 1 winner trialled under a hold over 800 metres with Craig Williams aboard, with stablemate Caste winning the heat clocking 49.03 seconds as Mr Brightside finished approximately five lengths astern in the second half of the field.
He will trial again on August 23 before resuming in the G1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) on August 31, which he won last year.
“We are very happy, being his first jumpout we aren’t out to break records, it’s just more about gaining fitness,” said Ben Hayes, who trains in partnership with brothers Will and JD.
“Craig knows him very well and we just let him balance and you’ll see through the line he was making some nice ground with some nice horses like Munhamek, who has been racing all through winter.
“Craig said he still wanted to go that bit faster early, which is still always a good sign. His action is great and all the signs are like the normal Mr Brightside.
“He has had a good blow and we expect him to really improve.”
WATCH Craig Cam: Mr Brightside prepares for the spring
Hayes said Mr Brightside spent an extra few weeks in the paddock this time around and his coat is just beginning to change in the lead-up to his first-up run.
“He needed a good break because he had a very, very busy six-year-old year I think with 11 runs and won $5.5 million,” Hayes said.
“We just feel he is a proper Group 1 horse and we can kick him off in the Group 1 where he has got a good first-up record and will still have nice improvement.
“It will be race-by-race, but his first two runs will likely be Memsie into the Makybe Diva.
“From there we either stay in Melbourne or can go to Sydney, there is so many options to get to the Cox Plate and we’ll map what we think is best for him.”
Mr Brightside is a $3.80 chance in the Memsie Stakes with Sportsbet.