show me:

So Si Bon aims to double up

3 minute read

So Si Bon will chase a tenth career win when he lines up at Moonee Valley.

SO SI BON. Picture: Racing Photos

Evergreen galloper So Si Bon continues to surprise his Lindsay Park trainers Ben and J D Hayes. 

In the twilight of his career, rising 10-year-old So Si Bon will line up for start number 87 and chase his tenth win when he runs in the Musk Creek Farm Handicap (1600m) at Moonee Valley on Saturday. 

So Si Bon seems to have been around forever, starting his racing career in June 2016 by finishing second at Flemington, and later that year running fifth in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas and fourth in the Group 1 Victoria Derby

While So Si Bon showed loads of potential, he was not always a willing participant on the racetrack and was banned for racing twice for savaging another horse. 

It resulted in So Si Bon being gelding, but the now nine-year-old has shown his longevity by going on to collect another eight wins and push his prize money beyond the $2.1 million mark. 

Retirement has been mooted for So Si Bon, but the gelding put an end to those talks with a three-quarter length win at Sandown over 1700m in similar company on January 7. 

Ben Hayes said So Si Bon had pulled-up from that run in terrific order and had no hesitation in heading to Moonee Valley again on Saturday. 

"He's drawn not a bad barrier and we're very happy with him and we think he'll run another good race," Hayes said. 

One thing Lindsay Park does not want to see on Saturday is too firm a surface which brought about So Si Bon's downfall at his last appearance at Moonee Valley in October. 

Lindsay Park will also be represented by Biometric in Saturday's race. 

After finishing an unlucky second to stablemate Nicolino Vito at Flemington on December 17, Biometric finished fourth to Corner Pocket, an opponent on Saturday, in the Listed Chester Manifold Stakes (1400m) on New Year's Day. 

"He's been racing very consistently, and he hasn't put in a bad run this prep, but it's a tricky gate, so we'll have to see with him," Hayes said.