Kiwi maestro guns for second Oaks

The Bostonian was a giantkilling Kiwi sprinter, who won three Aussie Group 1 races, and his half-sister is striving now to give trainer Tony Pike his second Queensland Oaks.

Pike has won five Group 1 races in Australia, with The Bostonian having taken out the Doomben 10,000 and Kingsford Smith Cup in Queensland in 2019.

The Bostonian also won the 2020 Canterbury Stakes in Sydney and it is his half-sister Cheval D’Or who is aiming to keep up the family tradition.

While The Bostonian was an electric sprinter, Cheval

D’Or is cut from different cloth. She has prepared for her Oaks assault at Eagle Farm on Saturday with three successive races in New Zealand over 2000m or longer, including an easy Group 3 win over 2100m at her last start on April 22.

She arrives freshened up for her assault on the Queensland Oaks, which was always her primary goal this campaign.

“It’s unusual. She’s a half sister to The Bostonian who was a sprinter but this filly wants to stay all day,” Pike said. “Last start she won comfortably over 2100m on a pretty heavy track. But she doesn’t need a heavy track, she can pretty much go on anything.

“We have waited six weeks and missed The Roses with her because she is so deep into her preparation we wanted her to race on the fresher side on Saturday.”

If family ties are anything to go by, Cheval D’Or will thrive in Queensland.

The Bostonian made the Sunshine State a happy hunting ground and there is also a connection to Kovalica, who romped home in the Queensland Derby last Saturday.

“This family seems to love it in Queensland,” Pike said.

“Kovalica won the Derby last week and Vitesse is the dam of that horse and she is a half-sister to Cheval D’Or.

“I’m certainly hoping that Cheval D’Or enjoys Queensland as much as The Bostonian did.”

Pike won the Queensland Oaks with Provocative in 2016. He said it is hard to judge how Cheval D’Or would go in the 2200m test at Eagle Farm on Saturday but feels she is at least as talented as fellow Kiwi filly Sakura Girl who finished third in The Roses.