News

Boristar delivered a career-best victory for trainer John MacMillan after winning the Listed Christmas Handicap

26th Dec 2014

Adelaide Now - Tom Biddington - Friday, 26 December 2014

A brilliant Boristar delivered a career-best victory for trainer John MacMillan with a dominant performance in the Listed Christmas Handicap at Morphettville Parks on Friday.

Connections were beside themselves as Boristar broke through for a black-type win — and it never looked in doubt after a gun ride from Jamie Kah.

The $3.30 favourite settled one-out, one-back as last year's winner Dubawi Gold set a solid pace, before Kah eased off heels at the top of the straight and Boristar sprinted away from his rivals to win in a canter. A gallant Exodus ($4.20) finished off well for grab second, a length and a quarter away, while Streetcar Valour ($16) nabbed third among a wall of horses.

MacMillan could barely contain himself afterwards.

"This is my first Listed win — I couldn't tell you how many seconds and thirds I've had, I've lost count," the Strathalbyn trainer said. "It's a relief — honest to goodness if he hadn't won it, I was starting to think I'll never win one.

"I didn't stop yelling until he was home."

Boristar, now a five-year-old, is finally delivering on the promise he showed in his debut campaign.

He's now won nine of his 22 starts (including three of his past four), taking his career earnings beyond $220,000.

"He broke his pelvis as a three-year-old and it's taken a long time for him to come back from it," MacMillan said.

"This prep is the first time he's really shown his best again. "It's taken two years — it wasn't as if he was racing bad, but it wasn't what I thought he could do."

MacMillan is going to set the bar a little higher for Boristar, taking him to Flemington for another 1400m stakes race next month.

"We'll go to the Chester Manifold Stakes in three weeks," he said. "We'll see how he goes there and then probably freshen him up (for the Adelaide carnival)."

David Jolly took the training honours on the day, collecting a double with Next Day and Innovative Jill, while apprentice Ryan Hurdle also had two winners, guiding home Calianco and Our Paradigm.