Trainer Pat Hyland will head to Sydney to chase a Group 1 win with Bonaria after the mare won back to back Group 3 $150,000 Schweppervesence Trophy (1600m) at Flemington at today.
Bonaria to chase Group 1 win in Sydney after winning the Schweppervescence Trophy. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
Bonaria is racing in the best form of her career and came to Flemington today after winning her last start in the Group 3 $150,000 Premier Signs Mannerism Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on February 22.
Michael Rodd gave the Bonaria ($3.40) the perfect run one out, one back and had to nurse her well into the straight before releasing the brakes at the 200m to score a comfortable win from Text’N Hurley ($5) and Bippo No Bungus ($12).
Today’s win was the five year olds third at Group 3 level and Hyland will now head to the Sydney Autumn Carnival to chase some fillies and mare Group 1 success.
“She is going very well,” Hyland said.
“We will probably go to Sydney now and hopefully it will keep raining up there.”
“You always need a Group 1 and she needs a Group 1, he has done well enough as it is.”
Today’s racing at Warwick Farm in Sydney is on a Slow 7 and with Bonaria’s good wet track record, Hyland is hoping the wet weather continues as he eyes off the Group 1 $600,000 Coolmore Classic (1500m) at Rosehill on March 22 and the Group 1 $1m Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on April 19.
Long-time owner Robert Anderson was pleased to continue his winning association with Hyland after being together for over the last twenty years.
“We’ve had a fair bit of luck. I’ve been with Pat probably twenty years.” Anderson said.
Rodd said that Bonaria travelled sweetly throughout the race and he didn’t want to let her go too early in the straight.
“I just smoked the pipe for as long as I could,” Rodd said.
“I didn’t want to get going too soon.”
Runner-up Text’N’ Hurley was under pressure in the early stages of the straight but responded from hard riding from Chad Schofield to get to the line strongly for second spot.
