Booming (NZ) (Don Eduardo) will get another opportunity at one of New Zealand’s premier cup races when he goes for the holy grail of New Zealand’s staying races– the Group One Auckland Cup (3200m) – at Ellerslie in just over a week’s time.
Sunday saw the strapping son of Don Eduardo (NZ) (Zabeel) round out his preparation nicely for the million dollar event when he carried 58kg to victory over 2300m at Otaki. Piloted by Opie Bosson, Booming was able to sit just outside the leader in the field of eight and at the 250m mark was on terms with race leaders Aintree (NZ) (Kaapstad) and jockey Michael Walker. Giving away 4kg in weight to Aintree, Booming had a battle on his hands but toughed it out winning by a half head on the line.
With three-time Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Glen Boss on board, Booming will have every chance to become his sire’s first Group One winner.
Booming rounded out a solid weekend for Haunui Farm’s Don Eduardo with winners on both sides of the Tasman. Gooree Park Stud and the Gai Waterhouse stable were represented by three runners by Don Eduardo at Illawara on Saturday with Devilish Intent (Aus) (Don Eduardo) carrying the famous Gooree colours to a comfortable one and a half length victory whilst stablemates River Of Salvation (Aus) (Don Eduardo) and Royal Esteem (Aus) (Don Eduardo) went close to providing a trio of wins for their sire beaten a half length and a neck respectively. River Of Salvation pulled up with a chipped fetlock after the race and will undergo surgery this week whilst Devilish Intent and Royal Esteem will be set to line up in Sydney over the next two weeks.
Autumn Ember (Aus) (Don Eduardo), the winner of two from two last season at three before injury curtailed her tilt at the AJC Oaks, will line up for her first four-year-old start at Newcastle this weekend and by all accounts should be very tough to beat along with stablemate Pictures Of You (Aus) (Don Eduardo) who lines up for her second start this preparation.
Swift Alliance (Aus) (Don Eduardo) will be stepping out in some of the main sprints of the Sydney Autumn carnival whilst Moti (NZ) (Don Eduardo) will get her chance at Group One glory at the Queensland Carnival.
“We have got quite a big team of Don Eduardo’s in work at the moment with all of them at different stages,” said Andrew Baddock of Gooree Park Stud. “I definitely think Swift Alliance has a big race in him and he loves Randwick so hopefully he will be putting his foot in the til a few times over the carnival and it is nice to have Autumn Ember back on the track as she showed us a lot from only two starts last season,” he said.
