Australian Cup tilt for in-form Boom Time
The Lindsay Park stable has had the perfect start from its large team of runners in the Blue Diamond Stakes meeting at Caulfield, with Boom Time scoring in the opening race.
The stable has 20 runners engaged in eight of the nine races on Saturday and provided the winner and third placegetter in the Mornington Cup Prelude (2000m).
Boom Time drifted in the market from $6.50 to $9 before scoring a long-neck win under Mark Zahra, with Goldstream ($5) second and Pilote D’Essai ($4.60) a half-length away in third.
Senior Lindsay Park trainer David Hayes said Boom Time and Pilote D’Essai would now go to the Group One Australian Cup at Flemington on March 11 before the Mornington Cup (2400m) on March 25, where victory guarantees a start in the Caulfield Cup in October.
Hayes said Boom Time deserved his chance at a Group One race and if successful it would enhance his credentials as a sire, given he is related to unbeaten champion mare Black Caviar.
“We may get a bit ambitious and go to the Australian Cup,” Hayes said.
“He’s still an entire and he’s from that Scandinavia family.
“He’s got a stallion’s pedigree so we’ll have a look at the Australian Cup.”
Boom Time had his first start since running fifth in the Magic Millions Trophy at the Gold Coast in January, which had followed three successive victories.