Oscar Bonavena was an all- round track star probably best remembered for his spectacular pacer munching speed one the fastest of his gait ever seen in this country.
But Nathan remembers him for much more than that.
“Yes ,phenomenal speed but to me he was such an all round champion. Lovable temperament; lovely looking horse. He liked being around people and people responded to him . Sometimes you would think he was half-human.He had a big fan club among everyone who handled him or just knew him. He was a standout horse in all respects not just speed and performance.”
And there was the longevity, the powerful desire to compete, facing setbacks with the courage and patience few horses could match.
“We probably never had a horse with more problems needing such high maintenance-mainly with knees but other various things. He was a great patient, did what you asked,no fuss and he wanted to be with you. Horses like that don’t come along often”
Oscar wasn’t the first Group One winner in that memorable first year of the training partnership with Mark when stars like Don’t Stop Dreaming (the first, in the Sires Stakes Final), Chase a Dream,Akuta and Millwood Nike dominated the age group and open class scene.But you fancy Oscar Bonavena winning the Dominion Handicap was a special memory.
Mark has labelled it as Oscar’s most memorable performance and it’s the one Nathan gained most pleasure even allowing for his phenomenal efforts against all the odds in the Inter- Dominions in Brisbane in Nath’s care last year.
“It was for the performance because he had been trying to win it for a while. But it was mainly for the sake of the horse.He just deserved to win it after all he had been through and how he had come back from everything.”
Oscar Bonavena began life with the Willliamson stable and scored on debut in a Sires Stakes heat at Rangiora with Matthew in the cart.
In the final he clashed with Mark and Enhance Your Calm a $1.70 shot and shared the honours running second with a huge effort. That was enough for Mark and the youngster changed hands for a considerable sum to be raced by Roy Purdon and US-based Chris Ryder.Mark assumed Roy’s share on the latter’s passing.
The youngster got it wrong in the Harness Jewels on stable debut but Natalie who drove him was in no doubt about the future.
“He will be up with all of them when he comes to it”
Prophetic words. Oscar won nine of his first 11 races when he resumed , eight of them in succession.But then in his first Dominion tilt (2019) favourite and still only four, he received an early check which ended his winning chances. He soon returned to the winning list but after an Australian campaign early in 2020 he was off the racing scene for a year.
When he returned he quickly ran third to Sundees Sun and Bolt for Brilliance in the Anzac Cup. His form was a little indifferent for some time as he fought issues, but the NZ Trotting Free for All the first of a double at the Cup meeting for Mark and Hayden restamped his class and later Hayden took over his training.
And indifferent is hardly the word. In 108 starts he was rarely outside the judge’s five calls unless meeting other’s troubles. An owner’s dream.
Continuing issues necessitated a shift to Reagan Todd’s beach stable through much of 2022 returning to Rolleston just before the Cup meeting and promptly winning a Trotting Free for All for Mark and Hayden in the hands of Olivia Thornley who was for a time the regular driver. She won twice with him in his leadup to his Dominion Handicap triumph in November 2023 after what was a masterclass drive from Mark ,saving ground throughout .
“Won’t you stop and have a chat?’ Oscar could be saying during his long spell through injury in 2021. Even on sick leave the quality is there
The time was nothing special but the 3200m bogey was laid to rest after a third in the Rowe Cup earlier in the year and a previous placing in that race also. He ran third again last year in the Dominion to the Australian Mr Gus getting held up at a vital stage when that runner made his bold race-winning move.
Oscar was Trotter of the Year at a magical Awards night for Mark and Nathan, Millwood Nike being Three Year Old, All-aged Pacer and Horse of the Year.Oscar raced against some elite trotters for any era (Sundees Sun, Muscle Mountain etc here ) and you had to be 100 per cent seasoned to take them on.
That he did so often speaks volumes for his fighting qualities.
Australia didn’t always get to see the best of Oscar either. He won the Group 1 Cranbourne Cup in the hands of Anthony Butt though and his sensational sectionals from back in the field at last year’s Inter Dominion spoke volumes. He had given the Menangle fans a glimpse of his high speed the DM Trot there last year when he posted his career best 1.53.5 for the mile.
Mark had almost decided to retire him when he served his first stud season but Oscar had other ideas. He made the case well. He has won $700 short of $100,000 this year alone his ambition was justified. Altogether he won $1.4m from 102 starts spread over seven years, 36 of them wins and 35 seconds and thirds.
Has Mark trained a better trotter ? Possibly.. But not a faster one and not one who had the fan appeal of Oscar Bonavena as his namesake had before him.
“He is not a horse you would ever forget” Nathan said.
And not just for his racing powers. By the time he had had finished a brilliant ,durable race career spread over so many years with so many problems, he was like one of the family. Greater champions have achieved less.