Country Cups Mission for Bold Veteran

Evergreen galloper Bold Kingston will be given his chance at a trip to the big smoke after continuing a stunning career turnaround at Cluden yesterday.

The eight-year-old cruised to his third straight Townsville win in the GN Laundry B72 Hcp (1400m) - his sixth victory in 12 starts for new trainer Georgie Holt.

Bold Kingston’s winning run has convinced Holt to target the rich Queensland Country Cups Challenge series.

The tough veteran will next run in the Home Hill Cup Qualifier over 1460m on October 29 in a bid to secure a start in the $200,000 final at Doomben (1600m) on December 3.

Holt, who later celebrated a double when Miss Seattle won, said a light workload had clicked with the Your Song gelding.

“It’s so easy to do anything with him. We seem to have found his niche, keeping him happy and not doing too much with him,” Holt said.

“He comes to the track maybe twice a week but other than that he loves to jump and poke around our little track at home, and go to the beach and very little else.

“His owners – Paul and John Licciardello – wanted to give him one more crack.

“They entrusted us to take him on and decide whether he was up to it. In the beginning it was race to race thing.

“Sometimes for these old horses change can be as good as a holiday.

“The benchmark races at this time of year have been perfect for him and he just seems to be getting better and better.” 

As well as three straight wins at Cluden, Bold Kingston has won two at Bowen, another at Mackay and has missed a cheque only twice in a dozen starts.

Bold Kingston made easy work of his assignment yesterday, breezing along in front on his way to a two-length win for heavy weight jockey Ashley Butler.

As easy as it was Butler pulled up stressed and after being led back to the enclosure by the clerk of the course was stood down for later rides by medical staff.

Miss Seattle brought up Holt’s winning double thanks to a ride-of-the-day performance by Ryan Wiggins in the TAB Cl4 Hcp (1300m).

Wiggins also scored on the Matt McGuire-trained Sarandos in the Mitavite Cl2 Hcp (1000m).

But the stunner of the day was produced by hard-working Cairns jockey Masayuki Abe who scored aboard 80-1 shot Figured in C.U.B. Bm 0-55 Hcp (1200m),

Abe made the most of his limited opportunities to claim his second win at Cluden in as many meetings with victory on Figured who jumped from the extreme outside barrier 13.