Grant Peters via NZ Racing Desk
Kiwi sprinter The Bostonian made it back-to-back Group One wins in clinical fashion when winning Saturday’s Gr.1 Kingsford-Smith Cup (1300m) at Eagle Farm and has duly been installed the $5 favourite for the Gr.1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) as he looks to create history.
No horse has ever won the Doomben 10,000-Kingsford Smith Cup (formerly BTC Cup) -Stradbroke Group One treble, but the Tony Pike-trained four-year-old is in peak condition and, like many New Zealanders, thriving in the Queensland sun.
The David Archer-owned gelding, who was born and raised at Trelawney Stud, has been set a task by the handicapper and will carry the top-weight of 57kgs in the A$1.5million feature, which would be the biggest winning weight in 27 years if he is to complete the first treble of Brisbane's Group One sprints.
The Kingsford-Smith Cup was not in the initial plans for The Bostonian but that all changed following a sparkling track gallop last week.
“With the weights for Stradbroke not being declared until today (Monday) we were a little bit cautious of running again, and with his good fresh record, but it was a $700,000 Group One race and his work last Tuesday was outstanding and made the decision a bit easier,” Pike said.
“I thought that if he held his form from the Doomben 10,000 (Gr.1, 1200m) he had to be a big chance.
“No disrespect to the field, it was a good deep race, but there was no Nature Strip or Osborne Bulls in it, so it probably lacked a couple of stars and looked a very winnable race on paper.
“He is the ultimate professional. He flys the barriers, puts himself into the race and as soon as you grab a hold of him he just drops the bridle as well. Michael (Cahill, jockey) just said it makes his job so much easier. He is a pretty push-button horse to ride.”
With two runs under his belt, it is now just a case of keeping The Bostonian sound and happy ahead of his historic tilt.
“He doesn’t need to do a lot,” Pike said.
“He will have a quiet week this week and have a gallop at Eagle Farm next Tuesday and then into the Stradbroke. He is a pretty fit racehorse now and he has been in great form, so it is just a matter of trying to hold it.” – NZ Racing Desk