The win of New Zealand-trained stayer Mongolian Khan in last weekend’s Caulfield Cup has boosted the confidence of Sydney’s Gai Waterhouse that her fellow Kiwi-bred galloper Bohemian Lily can be competitive in the 2015 Moonee Valley Gold Cup on Cox Plate Day.
Bohemian Lily is well placed for a breakthrough Melbourne win in Saturday’s 2015 Moonee Valley Gold Cup according to her trainer Gai Waterhouse. Photo: Daniel Costello.
One of four hopefuls Waterhouse has brought to Melbourne for Saturday’s Moonee Valley meeting, progressive O’Reilly mare Bohemian Lily had her Victorian debut on October 10 and backs up a fortnight later in Saturday’s $250,000 Group 2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup (2500m).
The field for the set weights plus penalties clash is down to 10 after Nigel Blackiston’s 2015 Melbourne Cup-bound The Bart Cummings winning mare Let’s Make Adeal suffered a campaign-ending tendon injury.
Jumping from the outside barrier is Waterhouse’s $6.50 shot in the latest Moonee Valley Gold Cup betting markets at Ladbrokes.com.au, home of Best Tote or SP + 20% on EVERY Cox Plate Day race on Saturday, four-year-old Bohemian Lily.
Her lead-up run was an eye-catching third behind Amralah in the Group 2 Herbert Power Stakes (2400m) at Caulfield, a race that last year’s Melbourne Cup winner Protectionist – also ruled out of a title defence in 2015 this week – ran fourth in last Spring Carnival.
Before that Bohemian Lily, a winner of three of her 14 starts to date, was runner-up in the Group 3 Colin Stephen Quality (2400m) and so while she is yet to run over 2500m her form at a mile and a half has been consistent to date.
Bohemian Lily kicked off her career in New Zealand before ing Waterhouse in Sydney during the autumn of this year, and the fact she is a NZ-bred stayer bodes well according to her trainer after what Mongolian Khan achieved last weekend.
“After Mongolian Khan’s dominant win in the Caulfield Cup, the hype is all about the New Zealand bred stayers,” Waterhouse told Racing Victoria.
“The former Kiwi Bohemian Lily (O’Reilly x Bohemian Blues) is one of the most exciting staying mares around and has already had her glory at Group 2 level.”
She may not have had an official Moonee Valley start yet, but Bohemian Lily impressed Waterhouse at the track in a nice piece of work in Tuesday morning’s Breakfast with the Best.
“The mare breezed around The Valley on Tuesday morning and I couldn’t be more delighted with her,” Waterhouse said.
Waterhouse is thrilled not only with the progression of her MV Cup hope since the Herbert Power run, but said getting in on the 53kg lightweight this weekend was a plus with the defending champion and race favourite Prince Of Penzance ($3.90) carrying 57kg.
“She has put on condition since her last run, she is down in the weights again on Saturday competing against many she beat last start and will be ridden by none other than Kerrin McEvoy, who knows my horses better than most,” Waterhouse said.
“She has already earned her place in your Black Book and you can see why, this mare has serious ability and will certainly be there in the finish.”
Bohemian Lily is still also officially nominated for the $6.2 million Group 1 Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) over the two miles at Flemington on November 3.
Currently the mare sits 46th on the Melbourne Cup order of entry and so is a longshot chance of making the capacity 24-starter Melbourne Cup field, explaining her $201 price in the all-in markets at Ladbrokes for the world’s richest handicap.
To get behind Bohemian Lily this weekend at Best Tote or SP + 20%, available on every horse in every Cox Plate Day race on Saturday, head over to Ladbrokes.com.au now!
