NZ HARNESS NEWS
West Melton trainer Cran Dalgety will be Auckland-bound with speedy pacing mare Bonnie Joan next month after running her rivals ragged in the Listed $40,000 Nevele R Southern Mares Classic at Addington today (Friday).
Bonnie Joan will target the Gr. 3 $30,000 Caduceus Club Northern Breeders Stakes on December 8 and the Gr. 1 $100,000 Rosslands Queen Of Hearts on December 15, both run over the mobile 2200m.
Dalgety and owners, the Tuapeka Lodge Syndicate, will be hoping for better luck than their first trip north with the speedster when she suffered a minor injury without racing there at two.
Driver Dexter Dunn was taking no chances with Bonnie Joan’s post-race nervous energy on Friday, removing the sulky from her for the presentation.
“She rears up and can throw herself down on the ground. She’s done it three or four times,” Dunn said.
Bonnie Joan, the favourite from the eight gate for Dunn on Friday, didn’t burn early but rolled evenly to the front with 1200m to run in the 1950m mares sprint.
The daughter of Somebeachsomewhere and Wave Runner had a kick turning for home, coming clear, then holding late closer Opoutama by three-quarters of a length, with Lovetodream (handy outer) and early leader Amazon Lily, next.
This was her eighth win, while she’s been second seven times, from just 17 starts, taking her earnings to $134,334.
Bonnie Joan rated 1:55.1 for the mobile 1950m, quickening over her last 800m in 56.5s and final 400m in 27.6s.
Her winning time of 2:19.5 was 1.4 seconds outside the NZ mares mark for the trip, held by Dream About Me.
Favourite American Tart had a tough trip from the outside gate in Friday’s Classic, racing three-wide, then improving outside the leader at the 800m.
She battled away in the straight, running fifth.
- NZ Harness News
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