Veteran galloper embarking on Bold bid for fourth straight win
VETERAN North Queensland galloper Bold Kingston is a prime example of the old adage – a change is as good as a holiday.
Eight-year-old Bold Kingston has found a new lease of life since being transferred to popular Townsville trainer Georgie Holt.
Since joining the Holt stable in June, Bold Kingston has won six times in 12 starts including his last three in succession at Cluden Park. Bold Kingston will attempt to extend his winning sequence to four when he lines-up in the Country Cups Challenge Qualifier over 1460 metres at Home Hill on Saturday.
He originally was trained in southeast Queensland by John Zielke and won four times before moving to Stephen Potiris who won three races with him before he was moved on to Holt.
“He was retired and was set to go to a pony club when one of his owners, Paul Licciardello, decided to give him one more go,” Holt said.
Bold Kingston has met the qualifying conditions of having raced five times on non-tab circuits since November last year and will head for the big dance in the $200,000 Country Cups Challenge Final at Doomben on December 3 if successful.
“If he wins and qualifies, he’ll go to Brisbane for the final,” Holt said. “He’s in career best form so we might as well send him down. His owners were stoked when he won first-up at Bowen and collected $6,000 in prizemoney so I’m not sure how they will feel if he wins a $200,000 race.”
Holt has credited a light workload and a change of environment to Bold
King’s rejuvenation. “We’ve kept him happy by doing as little as possible with him,” Holt said.
“It’s been more of a change of scenery than anything else.
“He’s an easy horse to train now.” Holt has a team of 18 horses in work and is assisted around the stables by her jockey-husband Aidan who still rides the north Queensland circuit despite an ongoing battle with weight.
Holt has named the Alex Mallifftrained Love On Sunday and Dalon from the Ian Coleman stable as the two main threats of Bold Kingston.