Last season's G1 New Zealand Oaks and G1 Australian Oaks winner Bonneval continued her march towards the spring Cups races when notching her sixth consecutive win in Caulfield's G1 Underwood S. on Sunday. Dropping back to sit about four lengths off the pace behind an early shuffle for the lead, Bonneval had Black Heart Bart in her in her sights passing the 1100 and Hartnell and Inference traveling on her heels. Bonneval and Hugh Bowman lost a few lengths coming into the bend as the pace quickened, and Bowman began to scrub on the filly as they turned into the straight. Winding up down the middle of the track as Hartnell fought to stay with her, Bonneval was improving late on and was eased down on the line.
Bonneval, a debut winner in April 2016, has not lost a race in 2017, kicking off her current streak with a win in Te Rapa's G3 Sir Tristram Fillies Classic on Feb. 11. She scored in Hastings's G3 Lowland S. three weeks later, and successfully navigated the 2400 metres when taking the G1 New Zealand Oaks by a half-length on Mar. 18. The winning margin was a much more impressive 4 1/2 lengths–and could have been a lot more if she pleased–when she cantered away with the G1 Australian Oaks at The Championships on Apr. 8, and Bonneval bested fellow Group 1-winning mare Abbey Marie (Aus) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}) when resuming in Moonee Valley's G2 Dato' Tan Chin Nam S. over a mile on Sept. 9.
Murray Baker, who trains Bonneval with Andrew Forsman, told Racing.com Bonneval would have one more prep for the Caulfield Cup in the G1 Caulfield S. on Oct. 14.
“She's got a bit of her coat to lose yet, but we thought she'd improve from last start,” said Baker. “She measures up; she was a very good filly. It's her sixth group win in a row. She knows where the finishing line is. She's in the Caulfield Cup, and we'll give her one more in the Caulfield S.”
Jockey Kerrin McEvoy said of the short-priced favourite Hartnell, now beaten on his last two outings, “We decided to ride him a little bit quiet to get some cover and I was happy with the run we were getting on the back of the winner. It just took him a little bit to get into the race and I just said to James and connections getting off that he's riding as though he wants a little more ease in the ground. A nice effort but a bit below what we thought he could do today.”
Pedigree Notes…
Bonneval comes by her talent honestly, being a daughter of New Zealand's Broodmare of the Year Imposingly (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}). Imposingly's second foal was the Australian Group 3 winner and New Zealand Group 1-placed Full Of Spirit (Aus) (Flying Spur {Aus}), and she followed up two later with the G3 Manawatu Classic scorer Lady Cumquat (Aus) (Duke of Marmalade {Ire}). G3 Belle of the Turf S. winner Imposing Lass (NZ) (Makfi {GB}) came next, and she was followed a year later by her full-sister Bonneval. Imposingly has an as-yet unnamed 3-year-old colt by Redwood (GB), a 2-year-old colt by Camelot (GB) and a yearling filly from the first crop of the G1 Cox Plate winner Adelaide (Ire).
A look further down the page reveals more class: Bonneval's third dam, L'Quiz (L'Enjoleur), is a half-sister to the dam of the excellent producer Magnificient Style, while L'Quiz herself produced the dual Group 1 winners by Zabeel St Reims (NZ) and Champagne (NZ). Click for the free Arion.co.nz catalogue-style pedigree.
Saturday, Caulfield, Australia
UNDERWOOD S.-G1, A$752,000, MRC, 10-1, 3yo/up, Open Weight For Age, 1800mT, 1:48.41, Good.
1–BONNEVAL (NZ), 56.0, f, 4, by Makfi (GB)
1st Dam: Imposingly, by Zabeel (NZ)
2nd Dam: Quiz Queen (NZ), by Defensive Play (USA)
3rd Dam: L'Quiz (USA), by L'Enjoleur (CAN)
(NZ$150,000 Ylg 2015 NZB National Yearling Sale) O-A R
Lawrence, J A Rattray & T W Jarvis; B-City Bloodstock Ltd,
Auckland, NZ; T-M Baker & A Forsman; J-J Bowman;
A$452,000. Lifetime Record: Horse of the Year, Ch. 3YO, Ch.
Stayer & G1SW-NZ, 10-7-0-1, A$1,582,469. *Full to Imposing
Lass (NZ), GSW-Aus, $264,683; 1/2 to Full Of Spirit (Aus) (Flying
Spur {Aus}), G1SP-NZ, $104,007; and Lady Cumqat (Aus) (Duke
of Marmalade {Ire}), GSW-NZ & GSP-Aus. Werk Nick Rating:
A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Hartnell (GB), 59.0, g, 6, Authorized (Ire)–Debonnaire (GB),
by Anabaa (USA). O-Godolphin; B-Rabbah Bloodtock Limited;
T-James Cummings; J-K Mc Evoy; A$135,000.
3–Gailo Chop (FR), 59.0, g, 6, Deportivo (GB)–Grenoble (FR), by
Marignan (USA). O-Oti Racing (Mgr: T Henderson), J Higgins,
Mrs F Archibald, L Webb, Ms D McKeown, Ms M Webb, D &
Mrs D Miller, A & Mrs P Goodfellow, Werrett Bloodstock,
Bobbin Along & Uthmeyer Racing; B-Alain Chopard; T-D K
Weir; J-M Zahra; A$67,500.
Margins: 1.0 len, 1.1 len, 1.9 len. Odds: 3.40, 1.10, 10.00.
Also Ran: Single Gaze, Black Heart Bart, Inference, Samovare, Our Rokkii (NZ).
Click for the Racing Post result.
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