Premiership winning trainer Chris Waller will follow a tried and tested path for Boban who will run first up in the Group 1 $400,000 New Zealand Bloodstock Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
Boban will run first up in the Memsie Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Daniel Costello.
Waller took the four times Group 1 winner to Brisbane on the back of two barrier trials and he was able to win first up, beating Charlie Boy and Generalife in the Group 1 $750,000 James Boag’s Premium Doomben 10000 (1350m) at Doomben on May 23.
Boban then ran a mighty race with 58kg on his back but found Srikandi too strong when second in the Group 1 $2m AAMI Stradbroke Handicap (1350m) at Doomben on June 6.
Waller then gave Boban a short break before beginning on a similar build for the Spring Carnival and the six year old has been to the trials twice at Rosehill for a fourth over 900m on August 4 followed by a third over 1030m on August 17.
“It is a similar training program we used with Boban going to the Brisbane carnival,” Waller told AAP.
“A short break followed by two trials and then first-up over 1400 metres.
“It worked before so hopefully it works again.”
Jockey Glyn Schofield has ridden Boban in all of his four Group 1 wins and will be aboard again in the weight for age Memsie Stakes.
The pair combined for their first Group 1 win in the 2013 $500,000 The Star Epsom (1600m) at Randwick then two runs later they took out the Group 1 $1m Emirates Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on the final day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival.
Boban and Schofield weren’t out of the winner’s circle for long and three runs into his 2014 Autumn Carnival campaign the Bernardini gelding won the Group 1 $500,000 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) at Warwick Farm.
Boban struggled to find his best form in two preparations after suffering a bleeding attack when he finished eleventh of twelve at Randwick in the 2014 Group 1 $4m Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) won by It’s A Dundeel.
From his next seven starts Boban failed to run a place during the 2014 Spring Carnival and the 2015 Autumn Carnival but Waller was able to turn that form around with his first up win in the Doomben 10000.
Stablemate Weary will join Boban in the Memsie Stakes and will head to Melbourne following his first up second to Burbero in the Group 2 $175,000 McGrath Estate Agents Missile Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on August 8.
