The temptation to sell Brandenburg in the past year was outweighed by the chance to win big races for Seymour Bloodstock’s Darren Thomas, and his four-year-old started to repay that faith in $500,000 The Coast (1600m) at Gosford on Saturday.

A Doncaster placegetter last year, Brandenburg had attracted the attention of several Hong Kong agents, but the seven-figure offers were refused.

“We have the family and for Darren, the fun of winning races like this is just as important as the money,” Seymour’s bloodstock manager Mark Pilkington said. “We have always been selective with the races we have targeted with him, because we think he is a group 1 horse and he is going to make the family look better.

“We have kept to races over the mile but the whole family has run a trip, and his trainer, John Sargent, has been desperate to step him up. He will get that chance in the Doomben Cup in a couple of weeks.”

Brandenburg ($8.50) had no luck at two runs this preparation but finally found a race with plenty of speed and got into the clear sliding past the 600m mark before bursting clear in the straight for a dominant win from Nudge ($6.50) and Brutality ($12).

“It was a good win,” Sargent said from the Gold Coast. “He is going to be better at 2000m and I will finally get him there in the Doomben Cup, and on that run he is a big hope.”

It was a late decision to run Brandenburg at Gosford after he was an emergency for the Hollindale Stakes.

Zaaki was brilliant in winning the Hollindale and is a $4.50 favourite for the Doomben Cup in two weeks, where Brandenburg is $13 hope.

Jockey Regan Bayliss is booking his ticket to Brisbane in a fortnight.