Gold Coast horseman Bruce Hill has confirmed plans to press onto the Bernborough Handicap 2016 on New Year’s Eve at Eagle Farm with his smart Brisbane Handicap winner from the weekend Man Of His Word.

Man Of His Word could target the 2017 Stradbroke Handicap during the Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival next year. Photo: Daniel Costello.

One of the key black-types on the Doomben card on Saturday, the $100,000 Listed Brisbane Handicap (1600m) saw Hill’s in-form four-year-old Man Of His Word ($4.80) enjoy a nearly two length win over the Desleigh Forster-trained Cylinder Beach ($3.50).

The bookies nearly had the Brisbane Handicap result spot on with the $3 favourite Sweet Redemption, coming off a Group 3 Festival Stakes win in Sydney, for Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott crossing a close third.

Hill has always been full of praise for his winning Lope De Vega gelding, Man Of His Word having backed-up from a 1500m win at Eagle Farm a fortnight earlier.

Jockey Jeff Lloyd continued his association on the progressive galloper and gave him a gun ride from last-to-first in the Brisbane Handicap.

“Man of His Word had to come from last today but I have been saying there are few horses who can sprint like him at the end of his races,” winning trainer Hill told the media on Saturday.

“Maybe the penny has finally dropped. As I have said several times he isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed but on potential he is a topliner.”

Plans are now to back-up on December 31 returning to the Farm for the lucrative $250,000 Listed Bernborough Quality Handicap (1600m) and Lloyd believes the horse is capable of bigger and better things over the coming months.

“He can finish very quickly. He can win a better race,” he said.

Saturday’s Brisbane Handicap was the horse’s first look at a mile and he’ll be after successive wins at the distance in the Bernborough, Hill hoping the speed is on again.

“Let’s hope the pace is on again in that race,” he said.

Looking further ahead to next year’s Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival, Hill could set Man Of His Word for a shot at the state’s richest race naming the $2 million Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) in June as a potential target.

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2016 Brisbane Handicap Results & Finishing Order

Doomben Race 5 – 17/12/2016