Horse of the year Bonneval retains title

WELLINGTON: Bonneval has become a dual horse of the year winner.

The Cambridge mare defended the title she won last year as a 3yrold when she took the premier prize at the New Zealand Thoroughbred Horse of the Year Awards in Auckland last night.

She is the fifth successive horse of the year winner trained by Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman, who prepared Dundeel (2014) and Mongolian Khan (2015 and 2016).

Bonneval was also voted the champion middle distance performer for the 201718 season and the Baker and Forsman partnership was named trainer of the year.

Kawi (sprintermiler), Avantage (2yrold), Savvy Coup (3yrold), Charles Road (stayer) and Wise Men Say (jumper) won the other horse categories.

Premiership winner Sam Collett was jockey of the year and Isaac Lupton was jumps jockey of the year, for the third time. The contribution to racing award went to breeder Nelson Schick.

Bonneval dominated the voting in the middledistance category and received almost twothirds of the votes for horse of the year.

The Makfi mare had only four starts in her 4yrold season but was the standout Kiwi performer at the Melbourne spring carnival. A $150,000 yearling buy for owners Terry Jarvis, Alastair Lawrence and John Rattray, she has earned $1.68 million in stakes from 12 starts.

Baker and Forsman, who won 146 races during the season, were unanimous winners in their category.

Their 142 wins in New Zealand eclipsed their own record of 114 and their team earned more than $4.7 million in stakes in New Zealand.

The partnership also earned $A1.688 million in Australia, bringing its total stake earnings for the season to more than $6 million. — NZTR