Premiership winning trainer Chris Waller has warned punters not to drop off multiple Group 1 winner Boban in the Group 1 $750,000 James Boag’s Premium Doomben 10,000 (1350m) at Doomben on Saturday.
Chris Waller expects a forward showing from Boban in the Doomben 10,000 at Doomben. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
Boban hasn’t visited the winner’s stall since claiming his third Group 1 victory in the $500,000 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) at Warwick Farm during the 2014 Sydney Autumn Carnival but Waller feels the five year old is ready to reclaim some of his best form.
“You can never underestimate Boban,” Waller told the Gold Coast Bulletin.
“You can’t take away that Group 1 level and some of his runs have been pretty good in the past 12 months.
“Not all of them, but in particular his early races while fresh have been pretty good so we are hanging on to that and it’s the type of race that will suit him and you would expect there to be a bit of pace on.”
Boban will be first up in the Doomben 10,000, not having raced since beating one runner home when fourteenth in this year’s Chipping Norton Stakes on February 28, but Waller feels the 1350m at Doomben will suit him.
“He is pretty well and I don’t think the 1200m is any good for him and being 1350m fresh this weekend, I’m thinking he is a chance,” Waller said.
Waller has given Boban two barrier trials at Warwick Farm for a fourth over 740m on April 24 and a win over 1200m on May 11.
All of Boban’s three Group 1 victories have been over 1600m and as well as winning the Chipping Norton Stakes, he took out the $500,000 The Star Epsom (1600m) at Randwick and the $1m Emirates Stakes (1600m) at Flemington during the 2013 Spring Carnival.
But Boban was a winner over the Doomben 10,000 course and distance during his two year old season with a win in the 2012 Listed $100,000 Sita Australia The Phoenix (1350m).
Waller will also saddle up German import Flamingo Star in the Doomben 10000 but admits he is not sure what to expect five year old stallion at his first Australian start and is already looking to the Spring.
“We are planning towards the spring with him and he hadn’t shown us much at all until Monday when he had his final gallop at Rosehill and his work was good,” Waller said.
Ladbrokes.com.au currently have the Ciaron Maher trained mare Srikandi at the top of the market order for the Doomben 10,000 at $6.50 just ahead of Team Hawkes’ Our Boy Malachi at $7.50.
John O’Shea’s pair of Generalife and Knoydart are the next two in the betting at $8.50 and $9 ahead of Bring Me The Maid at $10, Sacred Star at $11 and Scissor Kick at $11 with Boban hovering around the $17 mark.
