O’Brien to consider bigger goals for Bondeiger

Bondeiger could have booked himself a berth in the Group 2 Dilmah Exceptional Teas Vase (2040m) at Moonee Valley on Cox Plate Day with his win in the $80,000 Champagne Pommery Plate at Caulfield.

The Danny O’Brien-trained colt turned in an impressive performance at just his fourth start to account for a handy field of three-year-olds in the 1600m event.

O’Brien said the rest of his campaign depended on how he went at Caulfield and given the win he would now give consideration to stepping him up in class, where he would be on trial for a start in the $1.5 million Victoria Derby (2500m).

"I’ll just see how he comes through this and obviously if we did go to the Vase then that’d be the decider," O’Brien said.

"If you run well in that, it’s hard to resist running the next week. He’s had a good enough prep for it, he’ll be fit enough, but he’d have to run well on Saturday week."

Bondeiger, a son of War Pass, turned in a dogged performance to score with James Winks in the saddle.

The $3.40 favourite, who encountered some buffeting in the first half of the straight, scored by a nose from Royal Standing ($21) with Kapset ($6.50) three-quarters-of-a-length away third.

"He’s only a little boy and he got into a little bit of trouble on the corner, so it was good to see he still picked himself up and finished it off," O’Brien said.

It was the third time O’Brien has won the race – which Efficient won en route to Derby success in 2006 – in the past six years, having scored with Spacecraft in 2009 and Meethaq in 2011.

Story by Brad Bishop, to view full story and watch replay of the win at Racing.com click here

Photo by Slickpix, to view Slickpix website click here