Ontrack To Get Behind French Connection Again

Owners to cheer Bois D'Argent to back-to-back Doomben Cups

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BRISBANE - Reigning Doomben Cup champion Bois D'Argent boasts an obvious French name, but the team behind the big grey galloper believe he is as Queensland as it gets these days.

The now eight-year-old led all the way under Blake Shinn in the Group 1 staying event over 2,000m from Doomben this time last year to shock plenty as an outsider.

Though a four-time winner in France when trained by Marco Botti, including one at Listed level in a mile race at Longchamp in October 2021, Bois D'Argent - which means Silver Woods in French - did not quite set Australia alight with only one win in the Listed Mayors Cup (2,000m) until his Doomben Cup coup.

He has since struggled in Group 1 races, but did notch a Group 3 win in the JRA Plate (2,000m) at Randwick on April 19 before a sixth place to Antino in the Group 2 Hollindale Stakes (1,800m) on the Gold Coast at his last start on May 10.

He is now aiming to go back-to-back in the Doomben Cup, but is again likely to be unpopular in a market skewed towards the Pride Of Jenni v Antino duel in the A$1 million (S$831,000) race this year.

But, with a big band of local owners cheering on their adopted Queenslander at the track, the price counts for little as they believe he has had a smoother preparation this time around.