Allotted the steadier of 61.5kgs and short of his preferred distance, the Darren Smith trained BOULEVARD BARON (Savabeel / About Town) put in a super effort when trapped wide throughout to be beaten just 1.5 lengths in a slick 1:10.45 coming from well back on the turn and running on strongly in the concluding stages despite being weighed down by the grandstand on his back.
The horse impressed his trainer and connections immensely and the effort displayed revealed he is ready to be very competitive over 1400m - 1600m especially when carrying a more realist weight in the saddle.
This was his second run this preparation and stripped a lot fitter into this race. He should still gain benefit from the run and the foundation has been laid to achieve some competitive performances.
Boulevard Baron in cruise mode
The is a nice 1400m event coming up at Randwick on Sunday 20 May which may suit but we have several other options available and we will look for what appears the best option for his next run. He is a Black Book entry for sure !