Progressive staying three-year-old Bold Soul (NZ) (Embellish) tuned up for next week’s Gr.1 South Australian Derby (2500m) with a strong win in the Gr.3 Chairman’s Stakes (2000m) at Morphettville for trainer Patrick Payne and jockey Jake Noonan.
The son of Embellish has followed a similar path to the Payne-trained Dunkel (NZ) (Dundeel), who won last year’s South Australian Derby after spring-boarding off a successful campaign in Tasmania.
Like Dunkel, Bold Soul won both the Listed Launceston Guineas (2100m) and Listed Tasmanian Derby (2200m) on a successful working holiday in the Apple Isle.
The Kiwi-bred gelding travelled sweetly throughout on Saturday in the back quarter of the field and picked up well late to suggest he will relish getting over next week’s extended trip on the roomy Adelaide track.
Winning rider Jake Noonan said he had taken plenty of learnings from Bold Soul’s third placing in the Listed Port Adelaide Guineas (1800m) at his previous outing.
“I probably didn’t put enough trust in the horse last start when he hit a flat-spot,” Noonan said. “Today I just trusted the horse and Patrick just instilled it in me to do that.
“When he hit a flat-spot I didn’t rush him through it which gave himself a chance to pick himself up and then from the 400m I travelled like the winner from a long way out.
“I had the stick in the left hand ready to go today as I know he can lay in. But for me he went pretty straight, and it took until the last 100m to get him to flatten out, but he got there.
“I wasn’t too worried about where I was and who I was following, I was just trying to ride my horse.
“This horse looks in great order physically still. He has had a Tasmanian preparation and as Pat suggested they don’t have a hard time in Tassie. They train down there with Adam Trinder and they’re in a good environment.”
By Cambridge Stud’s Group One winning son of Savabeel, Embellish, Bold Soul is the last foal of the now retired Singspiel mare Twin Soul and was bred by Lou Te Keeti.
Bold Soul was sold at New Zealand Bloodstock’s Book 2 Yearling Sale for $20,000 to Wanganui horseman Hamish Auret.
He subsequently won a jump-out for Auret and was purchased privately before joining Payne’s Victorian operation.
A genuine galloper, Bold Soul has now won five of his eight starts with a further three placings and has amassed prize money of A$371,675 to date.
