Bois D’Argent brave in Doomben Cup triumph
Classy European import hands Annabel Neasham her second win in the Queensland Group 1
He may have come the long way around to achieve it, but European import Bois D’Argent became the fourth Australian elite-level winner for Swettenham Stud’s Toronado (High Chaparral) when he clung on for a courageous all-the-way victory in Saturday’s $1 million Doomben Cup (Gr 1, 2000m).
The striking grey gelding is among one of Toronado’s northern hemisphere crop of runners, with the stallion having shuttled from Haras de Bouquetot in France to Victoria’s Swettenham Stud for several seasons before becoming solely Australian-based two years ago – and won four of his 12 starts in France before joining Annabel Neasham’s stable, also in 2022.
Bois D’Argent won minor black-type in his second southern preparation, in Rosehill’s Lord Mayor’s Cup (Listed, 2000m), but had had three tries at the top level before Saturday without placing, though he was fourth in last year’s Caulfield Cup (Gr 1, 2400m) at $101.
On Saturday, however, those frustrations were laid aside, his purchase from Europe fully vindicated, as the seven-year-old held on for a tight victory in the weight-for-age feature to also reward roughie backers, who saw him drift from $21 to $26.
Springing from gate eight of 14, Bois D’Argent was rated to perfection in front by Blake Shinn, enjoying clear running for most of the race, the best part of a length ahead of his nearest rivals.
He was 1.5 lengths to the good of well-supported $11 shot New Endeavour (New Bay) at the 250 metres, and while that Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott import ground away determinedly down the running, Bois D’Argent found what was needed under desperate riding from Shinn to hold on in a bobbing finish by 0.1 lengths.
Neasham stablemate Fawkner Park (Zoffany) flew home for a narrow third, fellow $13 shot Huetor (Archipenko) managed fourth in pursuit of a third straight Doomben Cup, and another Neasham runner, Naval College (Dartmouth) was next in an all-European first five offering little cheer to any lovers of Australian staying/middle distance blood.
Toronado, at least, has a foot in either camp.
Swettenham’s imposing 13-year-old now has a diverse quartet of Group 1 victors in this country. Highlighting again the general preferred distances of stock spawned here and there, his Australian-breds have won theirs over sprints. Mariamia and Shelby Sixtysix took Rosehill’s The Galaxy (Gr 1, 1100m), while Masked Crusader landed the William Reid Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m).
Toronado has another Australian-made top-level hero in Hong Kong’s Victor The Winner, who also claimed his by speed in the Centenary Sprint Cup (Gr 1, 1200m) this year.
In contrast, Toronado’s two European-bred top-flight winners are Bois D’Argent over Saturday’s 2000 metres and another in the shape of French-bred Tribhuvan, who won his two in the US in Monmouth’s United Nations Stakes (Gr 1, 11f) and Belmont’s Manhattan Stakes (Gr 1, 10f).
Toronado – Victoria’s top-priced public-fee stallion in his third straight year at $88,000 (inc GST) (Written Tycoon (Iglesia) remains private) – now has three stakes-winners in this Australian season, from 264 runners, and 19 from 408 here overall, amid 274 winners. Worldwide, he has 37 stakes-winners from 792 runners, and 509 winners at 64 per cent.
On the female side, Bois D’Argent is now the second Group 1 winner from six runners for his Irish-bred dam Madonna Lily (Daylami), a non-winner from six starts.
She also saved her best progeny till last, with British-bred 2016 born Grand Glory (Olympic Glory) – winner of Deauville’s Prix Jean Romanet (Gr 1, 2000m) in 2021 – her fifth foal, while Bois D’Argent, foaled in 2017, her sixth and last.
Bois D’Argent brought Shinn’s 28th Group 1 success and his third Doomben Cup, after going back-to-back in 2014 and 2015 with Streama (Stratum) and Pornichet (Vespone) respectively, the former prepared by Guy Walter only five days before the trainer’s fatal heart attack.
“I’m a bit emotional for this one because obviously my [first] one was Streama with Guy Walter,” Shinn said. “So after I realised I’d won it, straight in my mind was Guy, so it was pretty touching to be able to do it.”
Melbourne’s premier rider admitted that despite his cool display at the head of the herd, he’d been something of an accidental leader, having expected Epsom Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Serpentine (Galileo) to adopt the Waterhouse-Bott front-running role (rather than his poor effort to run second-last).
“I expected Serpentine to be urgent from out wide but Bois D’Argent jumped so well, and when I was able to get control I thought, ‘We’re here, let’s rate him’,” the rider said.
“I was able to, down the back, just come back enough so that I could pick it up from the 700m and try and make his last part the strongest. When I was able to get to work on him just prior to the turn I knew he’d be strong and look, the horse was amazing.”
The grey is Neasham’s second Doomben Cup success following that of another European import, Zaaki (Leroidesanimaux) in 2021.
“He [Bois D’Argent] was the one I was saying was well over the odds because you just pick back through his form and he’s no worse than the rest of these, than the best horses in this field,” Neasham said.
“He was fourth in a Caulfield Cup. He was a bit unlucky in the Tancred [seventh of eight]. It didn’t really work out for him that day but he ran really well.
“He might be a clerk of the course horse one day looking at the colour of him. He’s a beautiful horse and it was a great job by the team.”
Chris Waller’s Kovalica (Ocean Park) was first in the market – as $3.50 favourite – and the first Australasian home. But after making some ground from ninth on the turn, the New Zealand-bred four-year-old could manage only sixth place, 2.74 lengths off the leader. Having won six of his first nine, the former boom gelding’s Queensland Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) success of one year ago tomorrow – ten starts back – remains his latest victory.
Ciaron Maher’s Detonator Jack (Jakkalberry) managed only eighth as a $5.50 second-elect.