Bold Bastille ready for The Showdown at Caulfield

Success in The Showdown at Caulfield will see Bold Bastille top the $1 million mark in prize money without the filly winning a feature two-year-old race.

The Lindsay Park-trained filly has taken advantage of the excellent prize money on offer winning the $500,000 Inglis Banner on debut at Moonee Valley and the $250,000 VOBIS Gold Rush at Bendigo at her most recent start.

Added to that Bold Bastille has twice been successful at Listed level at Flemington and Caulfield and her campaign will come to a close after she runs in $1 million The Showdown (1200m) on Saturday.

One blemish on Bold Bastille’s record was her sixth placing in the Blue Diamond Prelude at Caulfield in February when first-up as Lindsay Park trainers Ben, Will and J D Hayes tried to get the filly to the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes and then onto Sydney for the Group 1 Golden Slipper.

The three brothers felt the filly was good enough to head to those races, but a set-back early in the campaign forced them onto the back foot.

“It was shocking timing, that’s all it was,” Ben Hayes said of the setback.

“She was great, working well, but then she got a little sickness, and her bloods weren’t right for about two weeks.

“In hindsight, we did the right thing, backed-off, but then we tried to get her up to hopefully get her to the Blue Diamond because we thought she was a genuine chance.

“I think she has shown since she would have been, if we had her right, but unfortunately, she got that sickness at the wrong time, and we couldn’t get her there.

“We’ve won three Stakes races with her, so we’re very happy with how she’s performed and if she runs well in The Showdown, and picks up prize money, she’ll have won more than $1 million.”

Hayes and his brothers have no concern about Bold Bastille running out the 1200m on Saturday.

Bold Bastille did tire noticeably first-up at 1100m in the Blue Diamond Prelude, but has come out to win three races since, including the Listed Redoute’s Choice Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield.

That success gives the brothers heart the extra journey won’t pose a problem.

“I thought she ran out the 1100 metres of the Redoute’s Choice very strong and last start she was very strong through the line, even though she was eased down,” Hayes said.

“She’s a very straight forward horse. She’s got great gate speed, puts herself on speed, but then relaxes and I think if she’s able to do that, it’s a great race for her to have a go at.

“And it’s worth $1 million and semi-restricted as well.”

Bold Bastille drew ideally in barrier three on Saturday in the capacity field of 16 plus one emergency and will be ridden by Luke Currie.