Oscar Bonavena becomes 12th Australasian-bred trotting millionaire

By Michael Guerin

In the end the final push to the top of millionaire’s mountain was an easy one.

It was probably always going to be for Oscar Bonavena, who had panels on his rivals in the IRT Cambridge Flying Stakes Trot at Cambridge on Thursday night.

The nine-year-old was able to pull back to second last and after moving mid-race ended up in the one-one. From there the question was how big the margin would be.

The answer: five-and-a-quarter lengths as he raced into the millionaire’s club without breaking a sweat.

It was win 30 from start 76 for $1,018,558 in stakes, edging him into that most elite of trotting clubs.

But while the final step was easy the climb up that mountain was anything but.

It all started so well. Oscar was an instant hit for first trainer Phil Williamson, before being purchased by US-based Kiwi trainer Chris Ryder and Mark Purdon.

He even raced in the part-ownership of the late, great Roy Purdon for a while as Mark kept his legendary father involved in the industry.

Oscar was excellent in a short three-year-old career and magnificent for much of his four-year-old career before a luckless Australian campaign and then soon after the niggles started.

As they say, the faster you go the bigger the mess. And Oscar’s little legs went awfully fast.

As issues came and went it affected Oscar’s manners to the stage as a six-year-old he won only one of his 13 starts. Her looked set to become a cautionary tale of what happens to good horses who can’t stay sound and happy.

But two years ago things changed and the little horse who couldn’t became the little horse who could.

Oscar went on a rampage in the second half of that season, winning the Dominion Trot on his way to becoming Trotter of the Year.

Last year was trickier, with Just Believe coming from Australia to dominate our major trots but it is a measure of what a great little horse he is that Oscar came from behind the Victorian to beat him in the NZ Free-For-All on Show Day.

Oscar is still Oscar though. Such imperious form still mixed with a gallop in the score up of the National Trot on New Year’s Eve before he made his way to that mountain top on Thursday night.

Next stop will be Australia and an opportunity to turn the clock back five years to when he was the next kid on the block.

He is no longer new, no kid. He is our latest trotting milllionaire.

A horse who did it the hard way. A sprinting machine who has to turn warrior to get off the canvas more than once.

Oscar has turned out to be the horse we all hoped he would be.

It just took him longer to get there than we expected.

Oscar Bonavena is the 12th Australasian-bred trotting millionaire.

He joins :

Lyell Creek with $2,961,137.
Sundon’s Gift ($1,460,561)
I Can Doosit ($1,445,774)
Sundees Son ($1,401,248)
Speeding Spur ($1,304,992)
Take A Moment ($1,164,356)
Stent ($1,156,750)
One Over Kenny ($1,098,007)
Keystone Del ($1,088,449)
Tornado Valley ($1,031,977)
Vulcan ($1,025,892)
Oscar Bonavena ($1,018,558

Republican Party "in a zone" and now three from three 

By Brigette Solomon 

What a run Republican Party is on right now.

Last night the Cran and Chrissie Dalgety-trained star downed Don’t Stop Dreaming in the TAB Cambridge Pacers Flying Stakes Mobile Pace at Cambridge Raceway.

The son of Bettors Delight, who was driven by their son and stable driver Carter Dalgety, has now won three consecutive races including the Group 1 Invercargill and Auckland Cups.

“He totally blew me away last night, I just didn’t expect he’d be able to run down Don’t Stop Dreaming after coming off his back with the slow early pace and over the shorter distance,” said co-trainer Chrissie Dalgety, “to do that after backing up off the Auckland Cup over 3200 metres was really just the icing on the cake for his trip north, it was pretty amazing.”

Republican Party started the event from barrier six in the six-horse field and immediately settled at the tail of the field following the Mark and Nathan Purdon trained Don’t Stop Dreaming who started as race favourite. Led up by Kango, the field was in single file for the first 1000 metres before Mach Shard moved one wide providing cover for both the Purdon and Dalgety horses who followed his lead.

While the pace went on over the final lap, all runners remained in the same formation with Dalgety the first to peel three wide with around 300 metres to run, before being forced wider by Don’t Stop Dreaming who peeled out shortly after. The pair accelerated up the straight with Purdon initially hitting the lead, but Republican Party was impressive when letting down late in the piece and the pair went toe to toe before hitting the line in a photo finish with Republican Party snaring the win by half a head.

“His behaviour as an entire has just been great and he’s really in the zone at the moment,” said Dalgety “It’s been amazing to win the Invercargill and Auckland Cup but even this win at Cambridge is just awesome and it seems the racing over the longer distances has really made him, he’s really enjoying racing.”

Following his stellar performances over the past month, Republican Party now looks to Australia where the Dalgetys will aim him towards the Hunter Cup at Melton on February 1. 

“His last few races have proven that he’s ready to take on an Australian campaign so he’s booked to fly over on Wednesday,” said Dalgety, “Cran will travel with him and all going to plan Carter will join them to drive him in a race in late January and then onto the Hunter Cup.”

The Waikato Summer Trotting and Pacing Cups were also run at Cambridge last night with Lord Popinjay, trained by Matthew White and driven by junior driver Monika Ranger, combining to take out the trot, from Manchester In Time and Taylad To Use.

The Waikato Summer Pacing Cup was won by the Maurice McKendry-trained and driven Miki Shan, who powered over the top of rivals late to win by a head over The Surfer and Skipper.

McKendry also trained and drove A Trophy Wife to take out the Breckon Farms Parade Day 21st Jan Handicap Trot earlier in the evening giving the Pukekohe based horseman a training and driving double.