3 minute read

Boban’s rapid rise to prominence continued last Saturday when the Chris Waller-trained galloper recorded an effortless win in the Group 3 Moonga Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield

A fortnight after overpowering his rivals late in the Epsom Handicap, Boban was again asked to do the same contesting the Moonga Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday.

The four-year-old was still a long last turning for home yet with minimal urgings, quickly made up ground along the rail to post a soft win on the line over Strawberry Boy.

It was Boban’s fourth win from as many runs this prep and the Bernardini gelding did it without even being clicked up to top gear.

Boban’s latest success netted the Chris Waller-trained gelding a Timeform figure of 123+.

123 is Boban’s master Timeform rating having run the figure a fortnight earlier in the Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m).

Making the win even more significant was the history against Boban of Epsom Handicap winners at their first subsequent Melbourne run after claiming the prestigious Randwick Mile event.

Since 2001, Boban is the only horse who has recorded a Melbourne victory the run after claiming the Epsom.

The closest one had come to such a feat prior to Boban was 2009 Epsom winner Rock Kingdom who subsequently ran third in the Toorak Handicap behind Allez Wonder.

The Group 1 Emirates Stakes at Flemington on November 9 is next on the agenda for Boban.

It is hard to imagine Boban’s rapid progression through the grades will stop in the event where he can become the first horse since Chanteclair in 1986 to claim the Epsom Handicap/Emirates Stakes double.

While unable to taste Caulfield Cup success with his four-pronged attack (Royal Descent [5th], Hawkspur [7th], Kelinni [9th] and Moriarty [10th]), Waller still enjoyed another consolation prize for the day when Red Tracer took out the Group 2 Tristarc Stakes (1400m).

With just 3kg covering the field, Red Tracer looked well suited under Set Weight and Penalty conditions.

Jockey Nash Rawiller gave the mare a beautiful run in transit, third behind a solid tempo set by Steps In Time.

Red Tracer on straightening was full of running and a dominant three length victory ensued over an unlikely duo of Koonoomoo and Ava’s Delight.

The six-year-old matched her master Timeform rating of 119, a figure she has run to twice previously when claiming the Group 1 Tattersall’s Tiara (1400m) and also when second in the 2013 Coolmore Classic (1500m) behind Appearance.

Elevated to Group 2 level in 2005, there has been a noticeable upward trend in winning figures of the Tristarc Stakes during that period.

Red Tracer’s latest success comes in as the third highest winning rating of the event since 1991.

The top three winning performances of the event have all come within five years of each other with Typhoon Tracy sitting at the top for her 2009 success assessed at 122.

More Joyous’ Tristarc Stakes victory in 2011 yielded the mare a figure of 120.

Both More Joyous and Red Tracer went on to contest the Group 1 Myer Classic a fortnight later with the latter claiming the Tristarc Stakes/Myer Classic double.

Red Tracer’s win also gave Nash Rawiller his third success in the event having partnered More Joyous and also Our Egyptian Raine in 2004.

Form lines out of the Sydney carnival held up particularly well at Caulfield last Saturday.

Fourth behind Boban in the Epsom Handicap, Spurtonic won the Group 3 David Jones Cup (2000m) convincingly.

Like Boban, Spurtonic ran up to his master Timeform figure yielded in The Epsom.

A rematch looks on the cards between the pair with Spurtonic also pencilled in to contest the Group 1 Emirates Stakes (1600m).

After Guelph had her measure in the Tea Rose Stakes and Flight Stakes at Randwick, Arabian Gold recorded her first black type success in the Ethereal Stakes (2000m).

Like Guelph did claiming the Thousand Guineas, Arabian Gold ran well below her peak in defeating the Melbourne fillies last Saturday and appears to have the Wakeful Stakes (2000m) at her mercy.