by Michael Burns

Group 1 winner Bamburi confirmed his status as one of Chile’s leading three-year-olds on the turf with a decisive victory on Sunday in the Premio Nacional Ricardo Lyon (Chi-G1) at Club Hipico de Santiago.
 
The race is the second leg of the Club Hipico de Santiago Quadruple Crown series for Chile's top three-year-olds on the grass.
 
Sent off as the favorite under Hector Berrios, the Dushyantor colt rallied in deep stretch to overhaul three-year-old filly Gitana de Cristal by three-quarters of a length.

Margal closed late from his outside post to earn the third spot after original third-place finisher Chittenango was moved down to fourth for causing interference in the stretch. 

First leg winners Devenir and Stolen Heart finished seventh and tenth, respectively, in the 17-horse field. Only five lengths separated the top 11 finishers.

Trained by Patricio Baeza, Bamburi covered 2,000 meters (9.94 furlongs) on firm turf in 1:58 to register his third group stakes victory and fourth career win in ten starts for owner Stud Zarabique.
 
Considered Chile's leading two-year-old male on the turf last season following his victory in the Clasico Alberto Vial Infante (Chi-G1) (Chilean Two Thousand Guineas) on June 15, Bamburi entered off a close second as the favorite in the Clasico Polla de Potrillos (Chi-G1), the series opener on August 15.

Bamburi probably will start next in the El Ensayo (Chi-G1), the first leg of Chile's national Triple Crown on November 2.

Bred in Chile by Pedro Hurtado’s Haras Paso Nevado, breeder of 2004 and ‘06 Nacional Ricardo Lyon winners We Can Seek (Chi) and Kossimo, Bamburi is out of the Seeker’s Reward mare Brusela.

Michael Burns is a South America-based Thoroughbred Times correspondent