2013 Spring Racing Carnival standout Boban edged closer to a return to racing with an impressive performance in a barrier trial over 900 metres at Rosehill Gardens this morning.
Boban is a chance of returning to the races in the Expressway Stakes at Royal Randwick on February 8 following an impressive barrier trial performance this afternoon. Photo by: Steve Hart
Boban was making his first public appearance since he finished his spring campaign with a narrow victory in the Group 1 Emirates Stakes (1600m) and worked home strongly, while being kept under a heavy hold, to finish fourth behind Words Are Weapons, Little Favours and stablemate Red Tracer in the fastest trial, over 900 metres, of the day.
Trainer Chris Waller is yet to decide on the path that Boban will take during the 2014 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival, but revealed that the son of Bernardini is a chance of starting his preparation in the Group 2 Expressway Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on February 8.
Boban showed a great deal of talent when making his racing debut as a two-year-old, although he struggled with inconsistency, but finally lived up to his talent since joining the stable of Waller at the start of last year.
The four-year-old started his 2013 Spring Racing Carnival campaign with a win in the James McCall Retirement Handicap (1300m) at Rosehill Gardens on August 31 and stamped himself as a Group 1 contender with a dominant win in the Group 3 Bill Ritchie Handicap (1400m) at Royal Randwick on September 21.
Boban recorded his maiden win at Group 1 level in the Epsom Handicap (1600m) at the same venue a fortnight later before heading to Melbourne to take out the Group 3 Moonga Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield and finish his preparation with a win in the Group 1 Emirates Stakes.
Another Waller-trained Group 1 contender that performed well in the barrier trial was classy mare Red Tracer, who stamped herself as the premier mare in Australia with a string of impressive results in the spring.
Red Tracer resumed with a surprise loss to Sharnee Rose in the Group 3 Golden Pendant (1400m) at Rosehill Gardens on September 28 but returned to the winners stall with a dominant win in the Group 2 Tristarc Stakes (1400m) before recording her second win at Group 1 level in the Group 1 Myer Classic (1600m) at Flemington on Victoria Derby Day.
Waller said that Red Tracer is likely to return to the races towards the end of February and is expected to contest the Group 1 Coolmore Classic (1500m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 22 and the Group 1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) at Royal Randwick on April 19.
