Bordeaux Does It Again

The Informant reports:

Bordeaux continued his remarkable transformation when he scored a determined victory in the Dominion Post St Leger Trial at Otaki this afternoon.

Unplaced in three starts as a three-year-old colt last year, the son of High Chaparral and Our Echezaux was gelded and has been a different horse as a four-year-old this season. He has improved his record to five wins from 10 starts, and today's performance was as good as any of them.

Carrying a topweight of 59.5 kilograms, Bordeaux was sent forward from his wide gate by rider Jonathan Riddell and came across to sit on the outside of the early leader Hiique. He trailed that runner throughout the 2100-metre contest before pouncing at the top of the straight, surging clear and then holding on from a fast-finishing outsider Midnight Flyer to win by half a length.

It continued a great day for Te Akau Racing and trainers Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards, who an hour earlier won the Listed Reid & Harrison Slipper with the unbeaten two-year-old Heroic Valour.

“It's been a really good day,” Richards said. “Bordeaux has really turned a corner this season. Being by High Chaparral out of a Zabeel mare, he was always going to develop and improve with time.

“He's won five from seven this preparation, he's done a great job for his owners. He's another great example of the quality horses David Ellis buys at Karaka.”

Ellis paid $620,000 at the 2013 Premier Yearling Sale for Bordeaux, who is a half-brother to the Frankel colt that topped this year's sale at $1.3 million.

Bordeaux will now try to further bolster his record in the Listed St Leger at Trentham on March 19.

“He'll go to the St Leger next, and then we'll probably give him a break and then look at some of the nice Cup races next season,” Richards said.