Bois d'Argent (GB) may not be in the same class as Annabel Neasham's previous Group 1 XXXX Doomben Cup (2000m) winner Zaaki (GB), but he did enough to make every post a winner in Saturday's $1,000,000 feature.
One of four runners in the race for Neasham, the 7-year-old son of Toronado (IRE) made all the running under Blake Shinn to edge out New Endeavour (IRE) (New Bay) with the winner's stablemate Fawkner Park (Zoffany) back in third.
It’s been just over a year since Bois d'Argent’s last win in the Listed Lord Mayor’s Cup at Rosehill.
A €16,000 purchase at the 2018 Arqana October Yearlings Sale, Bois D’Argent was secured in a private sale by Stuart Boman of Blandford Bloodstock for OnTrack Thoroughbreds.
The former Marco Botti-trainee advances his record to six wins, six seconds, and nine thirds from 28 starts with earnings of $1,364,657.
“He 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 best horses in this field. He was fourth in a Caulfield Cup. He was a bit unlucky in the Tancred; it didn’t really work out for him that day, but he ran really well,” Neasham said.
“Beautiful ride by Blake; he rated him beautifully. New Endeavour certainly kept us honest to the line, it was a flashback to last week, it was a small margin but a margin none the less. I’m just so happy for the team, they’ve done a great job to get four horses here and they looked to have run really well, so delighted.”
“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. ”
“I actually thought rounding the corner he was traveling better than anything. He’s certainly stepped up to the mark and he will probably go to the Q22 now and you’d think he’d be a big player in that after today’s run.”
Blake Shinn said the win meant a lot to him.
“I’m a bit emotional for this one because my last one was Streamer with Guy Walter, 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,” Shinn said.
“The horse was amazing, full credit to Annabel, she’s a lovely woman and to win a race for her of this magnitude is pretty special.”
The son of Swettenham Stud’s Toronado (IRE) is a half-brother to the Group 1 Prix Jean Romanet winner Grand Glory (Olympic Glory) out of the Daylami mare Madonna Lily a half-sister to Group II winner Minakshi and the multiple stakes-winning hurdler Marble Garden.
Bois D’Argent is the sixth Group 1 winner for Toronado (IRE) who stands for $88,000 in 2024.
