PROMISING colt Bon Aurum has delivered another feature race win for rising star trainer Ciaron Maher.
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Bon Aurum he won the $175,000 group 3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude at Caulfield on Saturday.
The south-west-raised Maher, who has stables at Caulfield and Winslow, will now set Bon Aurum for the $1 million group 1 Caulfield Guineas on October 10 following his win over Tulsa and Dal Cielo in the Prelude.
"Bon Aurum is just a really strong colt," Maher said.
"He eats up, the runs don't take much of a toll on him at all and he keeps on improving.
“He's done a great job in his first preparation.
“We've found at each start he's learnt how to race that bit kinder, and that's sort of helped him finish him off."
The Warrnambool Grand Annual Steeplechase-winning trainer said Bon Aurum's form had been solid before Saturday's victory.
"His past two runs he's been quite wide.
“At Flemington he was four-wide facing the breeze and was strong through the line, so I think a mile should be no worries.
"Bon Aurum drew an awkward gate again but jockey Kerrin McEvoy just had to be patient on him.
“He got a nice track into the race.
“We didn't have to do a lot with him since his last run.
“He's just a horse in the zone at the moment.
“He's very fit."
Bookmakers slashed Bon Aurum's price into $8.50 for the Guineas.
He was as much as $12 was bet before his Prelude win.
Maher's highly-rated filly Jameka ran third in the Thousand Guineas Prelude with champion Australian jockey Damian Oliver in the saddle.
Jameka finished just over a length behind Miss Gunpower in the 1400-metre race.
Maher said Jameka will have her next start in the $500,000 Thousand Guineas at Caulfield on October 10.
Meanwhile, Victoria's leading trainer Darren Weir acknowledged the hard work of his Warrnambool satellite stable following a metropolitan win.
Stratum Star saluted in the $400,000 group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes on Saturday.
"I've got to give a lot of credit for the win to my staff at Warrnambool for having Stratum Star in peak condition for the Rupert Clarke,” he said.
“Jarrod McLean and the staff have down wonderful jobs.
"Stratum Star has thrived on a beach and dune preparation.
“I could not fault how Stratum Star looked in the mounting yard before the race."
Stratum Star gave Weir back-to-back wins in the Rupert Clarke.
The successful Ballarat-based trainer won last year's race with Trust In A Gust.
