Saturday, 17 October 2009: Honest galloper Baughurst proved too classy for the second year running in today's Group 3 David Jones Coongy Cup (2000m) at Caulfield.
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For the last two years Baughurst has been on the fringe of the Caulfield Cup and both times now he has raced in the Coongy as a consolation and won the race with authority.
Given a perfect ride by Ben Melham, Baughurst sat off the pace before working into the clear at the top of the straight and running on strongly.
Shocking, another who missed a run in the Caulfield Cup, was very green but worked home into second while Pacino, who had covered ground, boxed on well for third.
Hume got home hard and finished fourth.
Baughurst 
, prepared by Bill and Simon Wilde, has amazingly averaged more than $15,000 in prizemoney per start for the last five seasons, today taking his record to 45 starts for 10 wins and 19 placings.
He has been plagued with problems throughout his career but thanks to the kind beaches at Warrnambool continues to thrive at the top level as an eight-year-old.
“He's a top horse and has given us such a great ride over the last five years,” Simon Wilde said.
“He's got a lot of problems but doesn't have a saddle on him through the week. It's just beaches and then raceday.
“I really think he's going better than last year and with any luck he could have placed in two group 1's at his last two starts so he was a moral in this today.”
The gelding will now run in the Group 1 McKinnon Stakes at Flemington on Derby day.
