Victory in tomorrow’s Caulfield Cup would turn the bizarre into the beautiful for Kiwi mare Bonneval.
The star Kiwi raider was cleared to take her place in the $A3 million 2400m feature by Racing Victoria’s vets yesterday. The clearance signalled an end to the most bizarre week for the Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman stable and the horse’s connections.
Their star’s woes started after she received a chequered run in her final lead-up race, the Caulfield Stakes, last Saturday.
After the 4yr-old’s stop-start run, stewards reported she had sustained "a small wound on its off hind pastern and was lame in the near foreleg and will require a veterinary clearance prior to racing again".
Murray Baker had a rather different take on the situation, telling anyone who would listen there was simply nothing wrong with his horse.
Caulfield Cup rider Kerrin McEvoy, who is riding a wave of spring success, endorsed Baker’s stance when he reported the mare was moving well and nice and bright in a gallop on Tuesday.
McEvoy did some slower work with the horse on Wednesday and rode her again yesterday and again told waiting media that the horse was in good order.
"I’ve been happy with her. I had a canter on her [on Wednesday] and she felt fine and then [yesterday] just did some nice striding work over seven furlongs on the dirt and she seems free as a bell, in my opinion," he said.
"And happy coming off the track; she is bouncing and full of herself and seems really bright. I would be surprised if she is not right to take her spot on Saturday."
But in between McEvoy’s two rides on the mare, Racing Victoria’s vets arrived at Baker’s Caulfield base and they were not buying what Baker was saying about Bonneval’s health.
He was told his star mare was lame and rated one, the least severe end of their scale of one to five.
The horse then underwent scans before another vet was booked for another inspection, which took place yesterday afternoon and ultimately cleared her for the race.
While Bonneval’s week has been shrouded by her injury cloud, her stablemate Jon Snow has had a faultless preparation.
The Australian Derby winner is not only fit and healthy but is expected to relish the step up to the Caulfield Cup’s 2400m trip.
Bonneval’s woes have also sent her from one-time favourite back out to as long as $8 yesterday, alongside former Kiwi galloper Humidor.
Outside of the concern over Bonneval, much of the race’s pre-race hype has been focused on Irish raider Johannes Vermeer.
The Aiden O’Brien-trained galloper took over favouritism from Bonneval after his slashing runner-up behind Gailo Chop in the Caulfield Stakes.
One-time Caulfield Cup contender Gingernuts will start a short in the group 1 Livamol Classic at Hastings on Sunday.
- Jonny Turner
