Bonnard bounces back at Waverley

Stakes assignments are in the offing for exciting gelding Bonnard (NZ) (Swiss Ace) after he bounced back to winning form at Waverley on Saturday.

The four-year-old son of Swiss Ace has been a standout this preparation, winning three consecutive races before finishing fifth in his first test in open company at Te Rapa last start, but trainer Shane Crawford said he was given no favours that day.

“He got taken on a little bit last start and his sectionals were quite quick that day, and he wasn’t allowed to get a breather and finish off,” he said.

A change of tactics was implemented on Saturday, with Bonnard not taking up his customary front-running role and instead jockey Amber Riddell settled her charge midfield before she asked him to improve three-wide with 800m to go.

Bonnard loomed ominously at the turn and quickly gobbled up pacemaker Liquid Les’ (NZ) (Echoes Of Heaven) lead. Turn The Ace (NZ) (Turn Me Loose) looked his only danger down the home straight, but Bonnard showed his class and dashed away in the concluding stages to win by 2-1/4 lengths.

Crawford was thrilled to see his charge return to his winning ways.

“He was awesome today,” Crawford said. “I think tripping him away and coming back in trip was the key, I am very happy.

“The big thing for me today was the way he was able to take a sit and settle off the speed and then get home. It tells me he has got a few more strings to his bow.”

With Saturday’s victory, Bonnard has brought his career record to five wins from nine starts, and he may now have earned himself a tilt at stakes level, with Crawford now eyeing next month’s Gr.3 Winter Cup (1600m) at Riccarton with the Gerry Harvery-bred and raced gelding.

“He is still a work in progress, he is hard work to manage his temperament, but he can gallop and that is the main thing,” Crawford said.

“Nothing is set in concrete, but we might look at the Winter Cup at Riccarton. It could be a nice race for him and he will get in with a nice weight hopefully.

“But he is only a four-year-old and his best racing is still ahead of him in my view.”

A race later the Ashley Meadows-trained McKhan (NZ) (Mongolian Khan) made it back-to-back wins when taking out the Hill Street Greens 2200m in the hands of apprentice jockey Liam Kauri.

“He was hard on the steel and I didn’t want to let him go too early, so I just waited until the 1000m and then I let him stride out a bit more and he was tough to the line,” Kauri said.

“He was hard work when I used to ride him early on, it was a bit of a headache to have to get on and ride him, but now he is a nice old horse and he is improving too.”

McKhan has now won six of his 40 starts, with earnings north of $186,000.