THOSE that did well following The Bostonian across three-straight wins in Queensland last June would have had their interest piqued with the return of the gelding for the Group 1 Doomben 10,000 last Saturday.

The bolder of those would have also stepped in for the 40/1 on offer for the Tony Pike-trained four-year-old, with the markets saturated by the interest in the Everest-bound contenders Nature Strip and Osbourne Bulls.

No doubt a toast was raised to the skills of jockey Michael Cahill. Settled behind the leaders, he waited on the split which finally came allowing The Bostonian to dart through to get the better of the High Chaparral gelding Dollar For Dollar who was relegated to third by the fast finishing Osborne Bulls, by Street Cry.

That James Cummings-trained gelding now has the dubious honour of running second at his five previous starts, all Group 1 sprints.

GOOD HORSE

“We all know how hard it is to win their big sprints so you can never go into these races confident,” said Tony Pike.

“And the ride helped, it was a beauty from Michael. But he still had to win and it goes to show what a good horse he is and how much he loves this time of year and racing in Queensland.”

Pike highlighted that The Bostonian’s main target is the A$1.5 million Stradbroke Handicap (June 8th) . “I think the step up to 1,400 metres will suit him even better, that is his pet distance,” added Pike.

THE Shadwell Stud-owned Not A Single Doubt filly Qafila landed a knockout blow against the boys at Morphettville on Saturday, winning the Group 1 South Australain Derby.

Kept handy to the lead in the 2,500 metre contest, Cory Parish shot Qafila to the front on straightening where she proved way too strong defeating her 15 male rivals by three and a half lengths.

Second was the Savabeel gelding Savvy Oak with the Shamus Award gelding Mr Quickie third with Johnny Allen up. Trained by David Hayes in partnership with his son Ben and nephew Tom Dabernig, the win breaks a 35-year drought since the Hayes family’s last ‘home State’ Derby win, when the late Colin Hayes-trained Mapperley Heights to win the 1984 Derby.

“Well done to Corey, that is his second Group 1 and he rode her just like Boom Time when he won the Caulfield Cup,” said Ben Hayes. “He got the front under a hold and I was a bit worried that something was going to swoop, but she had them put away at the 200 metres and she could not have won any more dominantly. She deserves this Group 1. She has been competing at the highest level her whole career. This win makes her very valuable now.”