Godolphin colt Bivouac halved in price for next month’s Group 1 Golden Rose on the back of an eye-catching first-up victory at Caulfield.
The three-year-old was rated a $26 in Golden Rose market prior to Saturday’s G3 Ladbrokes Vain Stakes (1100m) before firming into $13 after the race.
After settling behind the speed, once jockey Hugh Bowman angled the son of Exceed And Excel into the clear in the home straight he produced a scintillating turn of speed, recording a 10.91-second split between the 400-200 and 11.08s for the last 200m.
Bowman said he was most pleased by the way Bivouac relaxed off a moderate early speed.
“He’s a good horse. He’s got a good record and I know the stable feel like he’s progressed since his two-year-old season and I think he showed that today,” Bowman said.
“He had a really nice run, it wasn’t a high-pressure race and I got out when I wanted to and he didn’t have to overcome any adversity but I think when the time comes that he does have to, then he’s got the ability to do it.
“I have sat on him in a trial and it was no surprise that he let down like that but what I loved the most was the way he relaxed in the middle stages.
“For a horse that hasn’t had much experience down here he cornered well and was beautifully balanced and that’s a great attribute to the time and effort the stable put into making sure they’re prepared on their Melbourne leg.”
Jockey John Allen said Dubious, who battled into fourth, didn’t handle the track conditions.
– racing.com
