Baker quashes Bonneval rumours
Caulfield Cup still prime target as trainer says media reports misguided
Co-trainer Murray Baker rejects the strong rumours A$3 million Caulfield Cup favourite Bonneval pulled up lame after Saturday’s A$1m Caulfield Stakes.
Yesterday’s Australian newspapers reported Bonneval was lame and in doubt for the Caulfield Cup after her “disappointing” sixth on Saturday.
“There is nothing wrong with her this morning,” Baker told the Herald. “We trotted her up at 8am and she was as good as gold. The vets inspected her after the race and have taken the precaution of telling us we need a veterinary clearance for Saturday’s race and that will not be an issue.”
The Melbourne media also declared Bonneval had cut a leg. “It’s a little nick and absolutely nothing,” says Baker.
There was nothing disappointing about Bonneval’s effort. The 2000m around a tight Caulfield was always going to be an issue if the outside barrier got in her way, and it did.
“Damian (Lane) had to go back to last from that gate, she couldn’t go forward and risk being three wide up the hill (1400m),” said Baker. Bonneval had to switch direction in the home straight and was making ground on the leaders late.
Lane was pleased with the effort as a Caulfield Cup trial. “The barrier killed her — I had to go back five or six spots further than I wanted. I had to ride her for luck and she hit the line well.” Jon Snow finished an admirable third. Being a somewhat timid type he dislikes being surrounded by horses and Stephen Baster pushed him forward to sit out the leader and eventual winner Gailo Chop. “He ran really well, I had to do a bit of work on him early,” said Baster.
“He’s a little bit underrated Jon Snow,” says Baker, an odd comment about an Australian Derby winner, but perhaps indicative of just how good a horse needs to be to win these days in Melbourne in the spring where some of the best from Europe (Gailo Chop) and Japan (A$500,000 Toorak winner Tosen Stardom) are competing.
“Reports are Melbourne is going to cop some rain late in the week and that will suit both Bonneval and Jon Snow,” Baker added.
The stable got its desired result in New Zealand. If you back horses on looks you were on Francaletta when she won Saturday’s $80,000 Taranaki Breeders Stakes at Hawera for Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman.
Any prize for the looks department on the day were won immediately the high class Cambridge mare stepped off the float.
The shame is Francaletta’s legs do not totally cope with very firm tracks, which may stop her scaling the heights she is otherwise capable of reaching.
But the first main career objective has already been achieved — winning Saturday’s stakes race, securing her stud career.
This was a much more dominant win than it appears on paper, a somewhat narrow victory over Aide Memoire. Francaletta drew inside and in the main they were not winning on that part of the track so rider Michael Coleman boldly took her forward against her racing pattern.
“I wanted to be outside Aide Memoire, who I considered the horse
Reports are Melbourne is going to cop some rain late in the week and that will suit both Bonneval and Jon Snow. Murray Baker
to beat, and I didn’t want to be too far off them on the home bend because she can hit a flat spot late.” On the relatively short Hawera straight that would have been disastrous.
The tactics meant Francaletta was in front very early and vulnerable late, but her four taped fetlocks drove through very testing ground and despite a brave effort from Aide Memoire she got the job done.
“You wouldn’t want to expose her on the firm tracks of mid-summer, but I can see her being a factor during Sydney in the autumn, where you often get wet tracks,” said Baker.
Meanwhile, the stable’s Lizzie L’amour had no luck in running yesterday and finished 10th in the Cranbourne Cup.
● Matamata local Jason Price was feeling surprisingly chirpy yesterday morning after taking time last night to celebrate the win of Aloisia in Saturday’s Gr. 1 Thousand Guineas at Caulfield.
Bred by Price, wife Kelly and brother-in-law Michael Hall, the plucky Azamour filly provided them with their inaugural success at the elite level as breeders when she stormed along the rail to snatch victory in the A$500,000 feature.
The victory capped a top day for the Price family who had also scored at their home track earlier with promising staying mare She’s Prismatic.
“It was quite a day alright and one you can normally only dream of,” admitted Price.
“It was great to get the win with our horse at Matamata but we were glued to the television when Aloisia went around as we thought she was a big chance in the race.
“We always thought she had the ability to get to the top level but to see her win like that was such a thrill and has given us such a boost for the future.” Aloisia is from the Perfectly Ready mare Queen Boudicca who Price bought for $39,000 at the 2010 Karaka Select Sale. Placed in the Gr. 2 Matamata Breeders Stakes she was retired at the completion of her fouryear-old season and mated with the ill-fated shuttle stallion Azamour to produce Aloisia as her first foal.
“We bought and raced Queen Boudicca who was a pretty handy juvenile but probably didn’t reach her true potential during her career,” noted Price.
“In the end we decided to give breeding a try so we went and saw Nick and Anne-Marie King at Brighthill Farm as they had just had Azamour arrive at their property.
“He was a wonderful specimen, with a great race record so we decided to give him a go with Aloisia being the result.” The potential displayed by Aloisia has seen her owners, OTI Racing, come knocking at the Price door again, this time purchasing her half-sister Wyetta.
“In the meantime, we are hoping Aloisia can step up to the Victorian Oaks next as we would love to experience the same feeling we had on Saturday as that’s something that takes a lot of beating.”