Adelaide galloper Budriguez ran the race of his life to dead-heat with imported stayer Puissance De Lune in the G2 VRC Blamey Stakes (1600m) on Saturday.
Aided by a perfectly-executed front-running ride by Craig Williams, Budriguez was collared right on the line by Puissance De Lune who is the pre-post favourite for the 2013 Melbourne Cup.
Budriguez (6g Al Maher – Deni by St. Covet) cost trainer David Jolly $25,000 at the 2008 Inglis Classic Sale and he has now banked over $585,600 for connections. He won a Strathalbyn maiden in April 2010 and added black-type in the LR City Of Adelaide Hcp and G3 R A Lee Stakes at Morphettville in 2011 before the first of his hit-and runs raids across the border.
He finally broke through in Melbourne with a G3 victory in the Carlyon Cup at Caulfield last month and went right on with the job at headquarters on Super Saturday. “Flemington is a big imposing straight for front-running horses and he stood up to the mark yet again,” Williams said. “I always had a lot of respect for Puissance De Lune but, to my fella’s credit, he really dug deep.”
Budriguez is by Emirates Park stallion Al Maher whose yearlings sold up to $150,000 at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale last week. His dam Deni won 6 provincial races on either side of the Queensland – NSW border for Bryan Guy. Her last reported foal is now a yearling colt by Bel Danoro.
Puissance De Lune (Shamardal) was a good thing beaten and he remains a firm $6.50 favourite for the 2013 Melbourne Cup. The grey import is owned by Gerry Ryan who won the 2010 Melbourne Cup with Americain.
– Karl Patterson