The John Thompson trained Bourbon Flyer ($6) got his career off to a flying start when he out-gunned the two main fancies Syracuse ($3.30) and Trifaccia ($2.30) to score a promising win on debut.
The son of Flying Artie came into the race on the back of two trial runs in which he showed to good advantage on both occasions and he certainly proved up to the task when edging clear of Syracuse in the closing stages after he and Syracuse had joined issue halfway up the straight.
The race favourite Trifaccia raced wide throughout, after jumping from the worst of the draw, and she was also fighting for her head for much of the first half of the running.
She did settle better in the home straight and began picking up the tempo to hit the line hard, but her run had been made too late to have a serious chance of victory.
“From day one he has been very straightforward … a really professional colt,” said Thompson of his winner. “His trials have been good. Hugh (Bowman) has liked him. He has got a good horse’s attitude and he aims to please … so I think there is more coming.
“It wasn’t unexpected,” offered Bowman. “His first trial was really good.
‘John Thompson isn’t a trainer to push his two-year-olds to have them up to the mark, but, if they are doing things the way this guy does, it shows, to me anyway, that they’ve got a fair bit of natural two-year-old talent.
“This guy did that in both of his trials and he came here today to the races first time out … and he certainly brought it all here.”
