Bonneval moves into favourite for New Zealand Oaks

The wonderful unbeaten winning sequence of 3-year-old filly Volpe Veloce was snuffed out at Te Rapa on Saturday.

Matamata trainer Graham Richardson will take a couple of days to reflect on the Foxwedge filly’s future after she fought gallantly for fourth in the Group II Sir Tristram Fillies Classic (2000m).

In eight starts, it was the first time she had been beaten after Cambridge’s wily Murray Baker and training partner Andrew Forsman saddled the quinella with Bonneval and Nicoletta, while Devise ran third and Volpe Velocve fourth.

"She tried hard but just didn’t stay," Richardson said.

"Give me a couple of days and I’ll decide what the future holds for her."

Her seven wins started with a 1200m hat-trick, one at 1400m and a hat-trick over 1600m for earnings of a tick under $300,000.

More will come, but she is unlikely to be a contender for the NZ Oaks (2400m) at Trentham on March 18 which is definitely on the cards for the Baker-forsman pair.

Bookmakers have crunched Bonneval into $4 favouritism for the Oaks from her $18 quote before Saturday’s win.

Stablemate Nicoletta has come in from $8 to $5 with Devise at $10.

Bonneval and Nicoletta will take a path through the Group III Sunline Vase (2100m) on March 4 at Ellerslie.

Baker hatched a plan to make Saturday’s race a true staying test.

"That’s what we had to do if we wanted to beat the other filly [Volpe Veloce]," he said.