Luke Currie would have loved to have been at Randwick on Saturday with a few key rides in Group 1 races on the signature day of The Championships, but he didn’t mind hanging around at Bendigo for rides like Bold Bastille.
The Ben, Will and JD Hayes-trained filly exerted her class as a $1.18 betting favourite in the first feature of the day, the $250,000 VOBIS Gold Rush (1000m).
The daughter of Brazen Beau took her record to four wins from five starts with an effortless all-the-way win in the richest race of the day and Currie was happy to receive a ‘gift’ from regular rider Mark Zahra, who had commitments in Sydney.
“That was a gift from the Hayes boys and the owners and Mark Zahra as well,” Currie said.
“She’s got fairly high cruising speed and she gives you a feel like she’s going to quicken off that, which is what she did.
“There’s not a lot of her but she’s obviously got a big motor and she’ll win better races.”
Bold Bastille denied fledgling Bendigo trainer Toby Lake a fairytale debut with his $15,000 purchase Linkvue, scoring by 2-1/4 lengths, but Lake’s $31 chance finished 3-1/2 lengths clear of third placegetter Toroness ($26).
The Gold Rush win completed an autumn winning hat-trick for Bold Bastille, who won the Listed Redoute’s Choice Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield and Listed Festival Stakes (1000m) at Flemington at her previous two starts.
Her only defeat came first-up this preparation in the Group 2 Blue Diamond Prelude (1100m), which she tackled off a setback, having brilliantly won the $500,000 Inglis Banner (1000m) on Cox Plate Day at her debut.
Last year’s VOBIS Gold Rush was won by Shesallshenanigans, who went on to win The Showdown, and Lindsay Park racing manager Dom Rhoden said that $1 million event at Caulfield on April 27 was the next target for Bold Bastille.
“I think that just proved that the boys did the right thing, they’ve been very patient with her after that slight hiccup leading into the first-up run, but now we’re reaping the rewards,” Rhoden said.