Golden Slipper placegetter Best Of Bordeaux has rebounded from a setback to post his first win of the spring, and his first for owners Coolmore, in the Group 2 Roman Consul Stakes (1200m) at Randwick.
Trainer Kacy Fogden was nervous on several fronts pre-race given the horse was making his Randwick debut and having his first run in a month on a heavy 10 track to boot.
But she need not have worried with Best Of Bordeaux ($3.40 fav) finding the front under Ben Melham and kicking strongly when challenged to surge clear of Sweet Ride ($7.50) by 1-3/4 lengths with Willinga Best ($3.90) another half-head away third.
“I was concerned because it was so heavy,” Fogden said.
“This was his first time away from Rosehill too.
“He looked like he was travelling so beautifully. Ben (Melham) didn’t move on him until he had to, he waited for that rise and then just let him go through his gears.”
Runner-up to In Secret at his last start in the Run To The Rose, Best Of Bordeaux missed a scheduled run in the Heritage Stakes on Golden Rose day after he was found to have mucous in his airways.
Fogden admitted the setback was a significant blow but she regrouped and headed towards Saturday’s Roman Consul Stakes (1200m), opting to take the blinkers off and replace them with visors, believing the full headgear impeded his ability to see winner In Secret last start.
The change had the desired effect with Best Of Bordeaux upping the tempo when challenged at Randwick.
“His last run in the Run To The Rose, he could see (third placegetter) Sweet Ride but he had no chance of seeing (winner) In Secret,” Fogden said.
“I don’t know, even if he had, if he would have beaten her.
“But he is very genuine, as we saw today.”
Tom Magnier, representing owners Coolmore who bought a controlling stake in the colt after his Golden Slipper second, confirmed they would look at the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes down the Flemington straight as his next target.
“He’s been a serious candidate for the spring the whole way through and in fairness to Kacy and the whole team, they’ve handled this horse magnificently,” Magnier said.
“They’ve had some tough days but there are highs and lows in this sport and that’s one of the high ones.
“There is a great group of people involved in this horse and we will sit down and maybe think about the Coolmore or something like that.”