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New G1 winner for Kodiac! El Bodegon seals rich autumn for Kodiac in the Criterium de Saint-Cloud

El Bodegon set the seal on an outstanding autumn for Kodiac on Saturday when making all the running to capture the Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud for trainer James Ferguson and owners Nas Syndicate and Tony O'Callaghan.


Previously successful in the Group 3 Prix de Conde and reunited with Ioritz Mendizabal, El Bodegon was quick to assume control and although challenged all the way up the straight, answered every call to win in authoritative fashion.


Celebrating his first Group 1 success as a trainer, James Ferguson told Sky Sports Racing: "It's pretty incredible. We have always loved the horse and I thought he had to work very hard there today to get to the front. He's obviously improved with every run and he takes travelling very well. He was given a great ride.


"Credit goes to the team back at home, and to the owners - they have supported me from the start so to be able to reward them like this is mega.


"His brother, Best Solution, went on and got better with age. There's a lot of presence to this horse and it's very exciting to wonder what he might be like next year as I can't see him not improving."


His win contributes to an outstanding recent run for Kodiac that also includes Glounthaune (Group 3 Killavullana Stakes), Fast Attack (Group 3 Oh So Sharp Stakes), Bear Story (Group 3 Diamond Stakes) and Geocentric (Listed Legacy Stakes).


El Bodegon - who was knocked down to James Ferguson for 70,000gns out of our draft at the Tattersalls October Sale - becomes Kodiac's sixth Group 1 overall and is a brother to globe-trotter Best Solution, who ran second in the 2016 Criterium de Saint-Cloud to Waldgeist before winning three Group 1 races, including the Caulfield Cup, as an older horse.


They were bred by Cecil and Martin McCracken out their excellent mare Al Andalyya, a daughter of Kingmambo who hails from the excellent family of Workforce and Brian Boru.


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