PIC; Devon will drive Amore Infida on Wednesday
Oscar Bonavena may be missing from the Trotting Championship field at Addington this week but he is headed north already for busy autumn campaign centred on three major assignments.
“He came through his last run well. It wasn’t run to suit him but we have turned the page on that and he is in good heart” Nathan said.
His first assignment leading to the TAB Trot worth $575,000 over 2200m on April 12 is the Trotters Mile at Cambridge on April 4 with the the Lyell Creek on April 26 the National Trot on May 3, the Anzac Cup on May 19 and the Rowe Cup on May 24 in which he ran second last year. So a lot of options on a busy programme.
He was third in the (Peter Breckon Memorial) G1 National Trot last year and won the Cambridge Trotters Mile (G2) as far back as 2019 when raced by Roy Purdon with Chris Ryder.
Oscar Bonavena faces two challengers from Australia for the TAB Trot the chief one being Australian champion Just Believe whom Mark holds in high regard having been base at the Jess Tubbs stable when campaigning in Victoria this year. However Oscar’s sharp acceleration around Cambridge should make him a viable contender.
Meanwhile CHASE A DREAM and MAJOR HOT are returning south and will probably be in action next week at Addington in a Sires Stakes heat.
“It was a disappointng result in the Derby at Auckland yet they have come through the race so well they should be ready to go again quickly” Nathan said
“Neither of them had a lot of luck and then Chase a Dream got a check as well”
Mark, in a stable first surely, got a 4 day suspension for checking Natalie’s drive Chase a Dream in the straight with WE WALK BY FAITH who looked unlucky in the Derby washup with a strong finish.VESSEM also did well late in the piece
“Dad was conservative in his assessment.He didn’t go further than to say We Walk By Faith would have been closer still without the holdup in the last 400”
It was a strong comeback from his failure in the NSW Derby. He will stay in the north to run in a Sires Stakes heat on Race By Grins night.
Meanwhile RUBIRA will be out to advance a strong stable record in the Kindergarten Stakes at Wyndham on Thursday as a busy time for Southland racing and Canterbury stables emerges in the next few weeks.
He won a two horse race on debut which may sound unimpressive but he posted some slick sectionals at Addington and Nathan feels he is a strong contender
“We are really pleased with how he has gone on from that heat and we have always thought he would be one of our leading juveniles” Nathan said.
Ironically the biggest danger is Always Dreaming a brother to Don’t Stop Dreaming a Free for All winner for the stable last Friday.
Addington on Wednesday features AMORE INFIDA who had them sitting up and taking notice after a brave run on Grand Prix day in December against elite opposition followed by a gallant effort at Invercargill.Looks well placed for Devon and MR KAPLAN is a force to be reckoned with at Addington on Saturday, able to drop back to easier company and win last time after being runner up in the Standardbred Breeders. She fits in a $25,000 1980 pace with a preferential draw the only negative.