Leading Queensland-based trainer Tony Gollan will use Saturday’s Gr.3 How Now Stakes at Caulfield as a ‘fact-finding mission’ with stare mare Bonham (Per Incanto).
The former New Zealand Group One winner will make her debut for Gollan and he expected he will learn a lot more about the four-year-old from the A$200,000 feature.
“At the start it was about her settling in and getting to know her and what type of horse she was. The last six weeks, I have been really pleased with her, she’s started to get into a good groove,” Gollan said.
“I’m really happy with what I’m seeing now. But this is really a fact-finding mission to see where she sits in the scheme of things.
“I think she can present really well (in the race on Saturday). We’ve kept her fairly fresh and she seems to have a little bit of dash.
“I think she’s found the right sort of race where we’d like to see her pretty competitive in this sort of race. Obviously we will know a lot more about her afterwards, though.”
Jye McNeil will ride Bonham from barrier two. She’s a $12 chance with Sportsbet.
Gollan said he is happy to keep his spring options open with Bonham, who won her G1 over 1600m.
“I’m sure when she gets out to her right distance, we are going to have a lot of fun with her,” he said.
“The spring was all about giving her a light one with a focus towards next year. It’s seeing where she sits.
“She’s out of three-year-old racing and up against all ages now. It’s always a little bit harder.
“So we will see where she fits in the picture this spring.”
Purchased for $160,000 by Gary Harding out of Little Avondale Stud’s 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft, Bonham went on to win four of her six starts in New Zealand for Otaki trainers Johno Benner and Hollie Wynyard.
She won the Gr.1 Levin Classic (1600m) at Trentham in January before returning to the Upper Hutt track in March to finish runner-up behind Need I Say More (No Nay Never) in the Gr.2 Wellington Guineas (1400m).
She was subsequently sold at auction on the Gold Coast and has joined leading Queensland trainer Tony Gollan’s barn.
