Boban is the clear favourite in 2013 Emirates Stakes betting markets and is expected to continue to find support after jockey Glyn Schofield claimed that the classy gelding has continued to improve during his dominant 2013 Spring Racing Carnival campaign.
Boban has been well-backed in 2013 Emirates Stakes betting markets.
Boban started his preparation with a comfortable victory in the James McCall Retirement Handicap (1300m) at Royal Randwick and stamped himself as a leading Epsom Handicap contender with a dominant victory in the Group 3 Bill Ritchie Handicap (1400m), despite over racing throughout the event.
The son of Bernardini was caught at the back of the field in the Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) but showed his amazing turn-of-foot to score his first victory at the highest level of racing and he came from the back of the field again to win the Group 3 Moonga Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield three weeks ago.
Schofield has ridden Boban at each of his four starts this campaign and told TVN that he has been simply astonished by the way that the four-year-old has improved every time that he has been set a new assignment.
“At his first start he showed a bit of class and then in the Bill Ritchie he showed a bit more class and then he showed a bit more class when he won the Epsom,” Schofield said.
“He came to Melbourne and won overcoming difficulties with 59.5 kg.”
Boban meets a number of his rivals far worse in the weights in the Emirates Stakes on Saturday, with Toydini and Sacred Falls both substantially advantaged, but Schofield is confident that Boban is good enough to record his second victory at Group 1 level with 57kg on his back.
“He won the Epsom with 53kg and now he has got to win the Emirates with 57 kg, but with each run he’s had he’s got better,” Schofield said.
“I wouldn’t be swapping him for any other runner.”
Boban is currently an outright favourite in 2013 Emirates Stakes betting markets, at odds of $3.60, but will need to overcome recent history to give trainer Chris Waller yet another big win this spring.
No favourite at odds shorter than $4 has won the Emirates Stakes since Bonanova in 1999 and the likes of Excellerator, Shogun Lodge, Grand Armee, Shania Dane, Weekend Hussler, So You Think and Fawkner were all beaten as short-priced favourites.
