Bon Aurum has defied a wide run in the Listed Pin & Win Stakes to bring up a stakes race double for trainer Ciaron Maher at Flemington.
The colt’s three-quarter length win in Saturday’s 1400m race for three-year-olds followed two races after stablemate Petits Filous maintained an unbeaten start to her career.
Petits Filous, Cap D’Antibes Stakes
Bon Aurum ($17) raced four-deep but built strongly into the race with an unimpeded run to land his second win from his fifth start and first at stakes level.
Lizard Island ($11) rallied for second after sitting close to the speed while El Greco ($8) made ground to finish another half length away in third.
Maher said Bon Aurum had raced too keenly in front in his recent starts when placing at Flemington and Sandown.
He opted to apply a tongue-tie in Saturday’s race to try to help the colt relax.
“It worked with an older horse I had, Mr O’Ceirin. It used to help him relax and I thought I’d try it with him,” Maher said.
“It looked like he raced a hell of a lot kinder today.”
Maher said Bon Aurum had earned his chance to head towards the Caulfield Guineas and was likely to run in the Prelude.
Zahra said despite being wide Bon Aurum was able to travel kinder than when he rode him two starts ago at Flemington.
“I was deep today but he was really relaxed just off the speed and it enabled him to have a good kick,” Zahra said.
