UNDERWOOD STAKES

(GROUP 1)

RECENTLY-CROWNED New Zealand Horse of the Year, Bonneval is looking like an unstoppable force following Sunday’s Group 1 win in the Underwood Stakes over 1,800 metres. The Makfi mare, who has now won her past six races, highlighted by a cross-Tasman Oaks double, settled back in the field behind a strong pace. Sweeping wide on the bend, Bonneval’s momentum progressed over the length of the straight and she wrested control of the race 50 metres from home. Godolphin’s Hartnell chased her all the way finishing a length in arrears, with Gailo Chop third.

It is the fourth time trainer Murray Baker, who trains Bonneval in partnership with Andrew Forsman, has won the race. “She’s still got a bit of her winter coat to lose but we thought she’d improved on her last start,” he said. “It’s her sixth group win in a row and she knows where the finishing line is. We will give her one more race, possibly the Caulfield Stakes, before the Caulfield Cup. She doesn’t worry about too much, she’s a pretty relaxed horse. I left it up to Hughie (Bowman) today, there’s no better judge, she picked them up well.”

Baker is plotting the same path he used for the 2015 Caulfield Cup winner Mongolian Khan, and Bonneval, who carried 56kgs to victory on Sunday and drops to 52.5 kgs for the Cup, is joint-favourite with the Darren Weir-trainer Humidor. Bowman who rode Bonneval on Sunday will need to relinquish the ride however.

“She’s a genuine Cups contender this mare,” said Bowman. “I just wish I was light enough to ride her. This mare has a lovely future ahead, I know she’s got a big spring this time in, but I’d say we’ll hear about her for the next couple of years.”

Kerrin McEvoy picks up the ride. “Kerrin has been on the radar for some time and I’m happy to get him,” said Baker. “He won the Emirates Stakes on Turn Me Loose for us and he’s a top big-race rider.”

SIR RUPERT CLARKE

STAKES (GROUP 1)

ANTHONY Freedman, now based at Flemington and training solo since the departure of his brother Lee to train in Singapore, landed a telling blow at the start of spring with a training quinella in the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes over 1,400 metres at Caulfield on Sunday.

Saddling up Santa Ana Lane and Mr Sneaky in the 16-horse field the pair finished within half a length of each other with the So You Think horse So Si Bon third.

“He was always one of those horses that if he got into one of these races and things went his way, which they did today, then he could win one and today was his day,” said Freedman of the Lope De Vega gelding Santa Ana Lane who swooped out of the pack to overhaul his High Chaparral stablemate in the closing stages.

“With Lee going, I lost a few horses because of that and I accept that,” added Freedman. “These days and these results put your name back there and people think ‘he might go all right’. It’s a great thrill and credit to the team. I have a really great team.”