Bois D’Argent (top two photos), Rock Hard Love and MistressofIllusion.
Cootamundra-connected gelding Bois D’Argent is perfectly poised to tackle the $500,000 Group 3 Rosehill Gold Cup this Saturday, after two lead-up runs this preparation that, on paper, may look underwhelming, but which have nonetheless left his connections optimistic.
Despite only beating three runners home in both starts since his return, the nine-year-old grey by Tornado out of Madonna Lily, trained by Annabel and Rob Archibald, ran past key rivals Fawkner Park and Huetor first-up in the Group 2 Hill Stakes.
Trainer Rob Archibald confirmed the stable’s positivity: “We are really happy with him. First up run was good… race hopefully sets up well for him, and he’s a horse that makes his own luck generally on speed. So we think he’s going really well, and I think he can run well.”
Connections believe early misfortune is behind him; however, part-owner and Cootamundra local, Jeff Bristow, feels the horse has been a victim of circumstance and tactics in his first two runs, which the statistics don’t fully reveal.
Bristow pinpointed the Hill Stakes run: “We drew Barrier 3 in his first-up, and Zac Lloyd just let every man and his dog in front of him, and he admitted that,” Bristow said. “I was thinking if you’re up on Barrier 3 and you are on the rails, you are not going to let 15, 14 or 13 come across and cut in front of you, are you? Mick Dittman wouldn’t have done it.”
He added that this tactical misstep was costly in a race where they were tracking a major rival: “He’s normally right up on the pace, and he just wasn’t. That first run in the Hill Stakes, he should have been trailing Linderman all the way, but because he let those come across, he just got shuffled right back, and it was in the steward’s report too, and he nearly ran up the back of a couple of horses because he was trying to go forward. He had nowhere to go because he lost his position.”
The second-up run was also compromised: “Kerrin McEvoy was on him second-up. He said he played up in the gates, and he jumped out a bit tardy in the gates, about a length behind, and he was hanging in. I don’t think the track suited him. That’s what Kerrin said. So you take that on board. Kerrin is a very, very seasoned jockey.”
Despite these issues, Bristow noted the quality of their recent opposition: “Linderman has beaten us twice now. He’s a very good horse, and Waller is a pretty good trainer; that speaks for itself.”
Stats and conditions point to a big run. The step up to 2000 metres is crucial for the Group 1-winning French import, whose three Australian victories have come over the distance, including the Listed Mayors Cup, the Group 3 JRA Plate, and the Group 1 Doomben Cup. Third-up last preparation was the aforementioned JRA Plate, where he beat another key rival in Heza-Shocka by 2.5L.
Bois D’Argent boasts a terrific {6: 2-0-3} third-up record. With Sydney’s forecast pointing towards rain, the conditions should also suit the grey fine, as he has a strong {13: 4-1-4} wet track record.
Bristow believes the circumstances are finally aligning: “I think he will run a lot better race this week. The field doesn’t look as harsh. There are still some good horses in there, though.”
Other major rivals include the Chris Waller-trained Wootton Bassett gelding Wootton Verni, who was impressive last start winning the Coongy Cup, as well as John O’Shea and Tom Charlton’s Super Seth gelding Maison Louis. Another Waller runner, the Churchill gelding Imperialist, is currently the $9 third elect in the market, fresh off success in the Taree Cup, qualifying him for The Big Dance.
While focused on the immediate task, Bristow also offered insight into his wider racing interests and passion for staying races.
“I still like my traditional racers. I love the stayers,” he said. He noted that although Bois D’Argent is a veteran, he hopes to see the horse respected: “It will be interesting to see how he goes, though, as he is a 9-year-old. I don’t want to see them throwing him in the races for the sake of throwing him in there.”
He also provided an update on another of his horses, the lightly-raced Sir Chartwell: “He’s just come back from a cracked heel, and he’s doing a little bit of light work down in Melbourne. They might bring him back for the softer tracks in the Autumn, maybe and look at the Sydney Cup perhaps.”
– Tully Potts
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