Quality mare bound for the Bay

Stakes winner Bohemian Lily will be relocating to the centre of next season’s early domestic Group One action.

She has returned from Australia to owner Kevin Hickman’s Valachi Downs operation at Matamata and no stone will be left unturned to ensure the O’Reilly mare gets her opportunity to star at the elite level before another possible trip across the Tasman.

“She will be targeting the Triple Crown series at Hawke’s Bay and Kevin will be sending her down to John Bary to train her,” Valachi Downs manager Jonathan Scully said.

“There won’t be any travelling for her and she will be working on the track.”

Bohemian Lily was initially placed with Lance Noble and she was a winner and finished fourth in the Gr.2 Royal Stakes before she was transferred to leading Sydney trainer Gai Waterhouse.

She made a quick impact with victory at her second Australian start in the Listed Gold Coast Bracelet with further success in the Gr.2 The Roses earning her favouritism for the Gr.1 Queensland Oaks before injury ruled her out of the classic.

Bohemian Lily was Group Two placed in the Herbert Power Stakes and the Moonee Valley Cup and in the Gr.3 Colin Stephen Quality last spring, but she failed to find her best form in the autumn.

“She’s been back about three weeks and she’s flourishing on the Waikato pasture,” Scully said.

“John will come up within the next month and we’ll sit down to sort out a plan of action – we’ve got our own pre-training facility here so we’ll work her on our track and treadmill before she leaves.

“As long as she races well, she’ll go back to Gai for the Melbourne spring carnival.”