Boaz smashes his rivals
Brilliant colt Beaudiene Boaz shapes as a potential national star after demolishing his rivals to win last night’s $200,000 Sky Racing Derby (2536m) at Gloucester Park.
Reinsman Gary Hall Jr took raging favourite Beaudiene Boaz ($1.20) straight to the front and he was never troubled before accelerating to score by 24m.
The race was over when he sprinted away at the 600m and led on the home turn by 20m.
Hall, son of Beaudiene Boaz’s trainer Gary Hall, did not fully exert the bay and he coasted home with a 1:58.3 rate.
It was one of Gloucester Park’s easiest wins in a Group 1 race. Beaudiene Boaz looks the heir to the stable’s recently retired champion Im Themightyquinn. Tricky Styx ($39.40) ran on to finish second in the derby by a nose from Denny Crane ($66.10), who had taken a pegs trail on the leader.
“Beaudiene Boaz is a super colt,” Hall Jr said. “He settled well in front tonight and I was always confident. The colt is a real professional.
“He exploded away when I allowed him to slide.”
Part-owner Glen Moore said Beaudiene Boaz would be set for the Golden Nugget Championship later this year.
Hall Sr will almost certainly be tempted to also enter him in the Perth Inter Dominion series, which culminates with a $1.3 million final on December 13.
“I bought Beaudiene Boaz in New Zew Zealand last year,” Hall Sr said. “He showed his class when he won last season’s Golden Slipper.
“He won’t be going interstate. We’ll keep him here for the big stake money on offer.”
Hall won the 2013 WA Derby with Alta Christiano.
But last night’s winner looms as a genuine replacement for Im Themightyquinn, who won three Inter Dominions, three WA Pacing Cups, three Fremantle Cups and two Auckland Cups.
Beaudiene Boaz, a winner at nine of his past 10 starts in WA, slipped in derby calculations when he ran eighth last month.
“He broke gait after a severe check,” Hall Sr said. “It was a big worry if we could get him back on target for the derby.
“But he looked as good as ever when winning again two weeks ago.”
Connections of Kiwi Legend said leading up to the derby they would engage Beaudiene Boaz in an early speed battle.
But the anticipated duel fizzled when reinsman Mark Reed dropped Kiwi Legend back to fourth in the first 300m.
Kiwi Legend had a perfect run and moved to second at the 300m, but he tired quickly.
Hall Sr landed a training trifecta when Graybuck won last night’s Clipsal and Schneider Electric Pace (2130m) from stablemates Vapour and Mohegan Sun.
Hot favourite Vapour ($2) set a solid pace and Graybuck ($4.10) coasted on the pegs in third position.
Promising junior driver Lauren Jones moved Graybuck out near the home turn and he grabbed victory by a nose.
Mohegan Sun ($15.80) finished 1m away in third.
Jones said Graybuck, who rated 1:57.8, nearly threw away his win.
“He hung out in the straight,” Jones said. “It took time to pick up Vapour.”
