Best Of Bordeaux relishes quick turnaround
WHILE trainers toss and turn over putting their horses through a seven-day backup, there is only one question Kacy Fogden is asking about her top colt Best Of Bordeaux.
“Why haven’t we done this sooner?”
The Gold Coast trainer opted to roll the dice in the Group 1 Manikato Stakes last week, where the three-yearold ran third behind tearaway winner Bella Nipotina, but Saturday’s Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington has always been the target.
Fogden says her Golden Slipper runner-up has relished his work this week as she looks to land her first Group 1 as a trainer. “I think we should have backed him up sooner, he is just thriving,” she said.
“You never know how they are going to handle a backup until they do it, but he is just so alert, so sharp this week.”
Fogden can’t help but think what might have been in the Manikato had they stuck to the rail after seeing Bella Nipotina shoot clear on the inside, but concedes she would have taken some beating.
Drawing the outside barrier in what is Best Of Bordeaux’s first time up the Flemington straight on Saturday, Fogden says it could go one of two ways. “It is an interesting speed map, Queen Of The Ball is down the middle then the rest of the speed is down on the inside,” she said.
“We’d be silly not to use his speed, it is his best asset.
In what could be a huge day for Fogden who has only had three Group 1 starters in her short career, she also saddles up Fearless Knight in the Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m).
“He’s only a roughie but he’s in there because he takes so long to wind up,” she said. “Watch his races, he is always out the back smoking the pipe, so there is no doubt about him seeing out the trip.”