Boban had plenty to do halfway down the straight in Saturday’s Group I Memsie Stakes (1400m) but the Chris Waller-trained galloper’s late surge was enough to give him his fifth win at the highest level.
Two strong barrier trials had Boban ready for his first-up assignment at Caulfield but the Hawkes Racing runner Entirely Platinum tested his fitness when he shot clear of his opposition with 200m to run of the weight-for-age contest.
Jockey Glyn Schofield had to ride Boban desperately in the final stages but the son of Bernardini got up in the last few strides to nab Entirely Platinum, scoring by a short half-head.
“He came around the corner and Dwayne (Dunn on Entirely Platinum) kicked away,” Schofield said.
“He was chasing and I wasn’t quite sure whether he was going to get there or not but he certainly unleashed a big finish in the last furlong and especially the last 100 when he probably made up a length.
“He stuck his head down when it was needed.”
Showers forced the Caulfield track down to a soft (6) rating before the Memsie Stakes. Schofield said the shiftiness of the track rather than any dampness was the major obstacle for Boban.
Punters remained confident in the Sydney galloper, backing him from $6.50 to start as a $5.50 favourite.
Schofield said the son of Bernardini was able to settle closer to the speed than he anticipated, which he said was the main reason Boban was able to outsprint his opposition late in the $400,000 feature.
“He gave me a super ride today. He was a lot further forward than what I probably anticipated but he found himself there without any effort,” Schofield said.
“The last bit he lifted. He saw where the winning post was and he wanted to get there. It was a fantastic effort.
“He’s a fantastic horse. When he quickens up, there are not many that can quicken with him. He wasn’t at his best on the shifty ground but it just shows what a top horse he is.”
The consistent Darren Weir-trained four-year-old Stratum Star raced just off the pace but worked home well to grab third ahead of Boban’s stablemate Weary, which settled back and made ground in the straight.
The $6 second pick Hi World finished fifth.
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