Michael Rodd will ride Bonaria in the 2014 Queen Of The Turf Stakes at Royal Randwick on Saturday and trainer Pat Hyland has revealed that he is delighted to have the leading Melbourne jockey back on board the quality mare for the Group 1 event at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
Bonaria will be chasing her maiden win at Group 1 level in the 2014 Queen Of The Turf Stakes at Royal Randwick on Saturday. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Rodd steered Bonaria to victory in the Group 3 Mannerism Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on February 22 and the Group 3 Schweppervescence Trophy (1600m) at Flemington on March 8 during the Melbourne Festival Of Racing, but the Redoute’s Choice mare was ridden by Tim Clark when she finished tenth in the Group 1 Coolmore Classic (1500m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 22.
Hyland told Racing Ahead that Clark rode Bonaria a bit too far forward in the Coolmore Classic and believes that Rodd has built an affinity with the five-year-old during the past 12 months.
“She probably was a little bit close and she got roughed out a little bit by the horse coming out on the inside,” Hyland said of Bonaria’s performance in the Coolmore Classic.
“That sort of set her alight a bit early.
“Michael Rodd is riding her on Saturday and he seems to have a good handle on how she races and he likes her.
“Nothing against the boy that rode her at Rosehill, but I think Michael knows her pretty well and I am expecting her to have a pretty nice run in this race and get to the line pretty well at the finish.
“Her barrier leaves him in a good position to go back and get in wherever he wants to.
“It is a nice run in at Randwick and I think the track will suit her more than Rosehill.”
Hyland still rides the majority of his own trackwork at his boutique stable at Cranbourne and partnered Bonaria in a testing gallop yesterday.
The Melbourne Cup winning jockey said he was delighted with the feel he received from Bonaria and is thrilled with her condition heading into the Queen Of The Turf Stakes on Saturday.
“She is great,” Hyland said.
“I rode her yesterday morning and she felt as great to me as she has ever felt.
“It is just a question of whether she is good enough to beat those Sydney fillies.”
Bonaria is currently available at 2014 Queen Of The Turf Stakes odds of $26 and along with Gai Waterhouse-trained Diamond Drille is the outsider of the field following the scratching of Sharnee Rose this morning.
