Plenty of people in the New Zealand racing fraternity are looking forward to the inaugural Champions Day at Ellerslie on March 8, but none more so than Rayner and Lynn Bonnington.
The $1.25 million Gr.1 Trackside New Zealand Derby (2400m) will be one of eight stakes races on the action-packed card, and the West Auckland couple, who breed and race under their Little River Thoroughbreds Partnership banner, look to have a strong contender for the classic.
Farm graduate Mustang Morgan has shortened into $12 in the TAB Futures Market for the Derby following his victory in Sunday’s Listed Gingernuts Salver (2100m) at Ellerslie, much to the delight of the Bonningtons and their group of owners.
“It was amazing. It was great to be able to enjoy it with a good group of people,” Rayner Bonnington said.
“We bred the horse, and I always said to my friends that when we broke one in and it showed a bit we would reach out and see if they were keen. They have taken 80 percent of the horse between them, and it has been a great ride.
“It is never easy when they are so spread around the country, but when you target a race that far out then they have got a bit of time to get up there for the big dance.”
Mustang Morgan is out of unraced Zeditave mare Assertiveobsession, a full-sister to multiple Group One winners Assertive Lad and Assertive Lass, the latter the dam of dual Group One winner and Group One-producing stallion Reset.
Assertiveobsession was purchased as a broodmare prospect out of Stratheden Stud’s 2010 Magic Millions Broodmare Sale for A$270,000 and joined Cambridge Stud’s broodmare band, where she produced five winners, including stakes performer Ohceedee.
She was subsequently offered for sale on Gavelhouse.com, and was purchased by the Bonnington’s for $7,500, with a view of sending her to Brighthill Farm stallion Preferment.
“I spoke with Marcus Corban from Cambridge Stud, who was selling the mare,” Bonnington said. “We had a breeding right to Preferment and I looked at it (pedigree) and it (potential mating) is a three-quarter in blood to Reset, the stallion, so I thought if the recipe has worked once then why not go back?”
That mating resulted in Mustang Morgan, who has shown plenty of ability for trainer Andrew Forsman to date, having placed in two starts prior to Sunday’s victory, and Bonnington is excited about the prospects of his two-year-old half-sister, who was the last foal out of Assertiveobsession.
“Her two-year-old (Belardo filly) is with Shaun Clotworthy now. We are racing her with Shaun and a group of his friends,” Bonnington said.
Bonnington is still coming down from the high of Sunday’s win and is excited about the build-up towards the Derby, with Mustang Morgan firstly enjoying a quick freshen-up.
“He went to Milan Park today, we are good friends with Tony Rider (principal), and he will be out there for a week to enjoy some fresh grass in a paddock,” Bonnington said.
“He will come back in and have a go at one of the Guineas, but Andrew hasn’t made his mind up yet as to which one he will go to. It will just be one more run before the Derby.”
Mustang Morgan’s time at Milan Park could be a good omen for the Derby, with the Bonningtons having experienced some of their biggest highs in racing alongside Rider when racing Group One winner The Chosen One.
“We were in The Chosen One with Tony, that was probably our biggest claim to fame. That was fun,” Bonnington said.
“Getting third in a Caulfield Cup (Gr.1, 2400m) and being there when he won the Frank Packer Plate (Gr.3, 2000m) was great, and watching him run in the Melbourne Cups (Gr.1, 3200m).”
While looking forward to the Derby with Mustang Morgan on Champions Day, the meeting’s feature race, the inaugural $3.5 million NZB Kiwi (1500m), is proving just as exciting for the Bonningtons.
The couple are part of the Kerri Spence and Clotworthy Racing slot holder partnership, and Bonnington said it is exciting to be involved in the groundbreaking race.
“We are with Shaun Clotworthy and Kerri Spence, we have got a share in the slot as well, so it will be an epic day,” Bonnington said.
“Shaun and Kerri are working through that (potential slot runners) at the moment and once we get a short list we can go from there, but nothing’s definite yet.”
Bonnington said he and his wife Lynn are loving their time in racing, which was instigated when they attended a charity function several years ago, which resulted in them establishing Little River Thoroughbreds at their 30-acre Kumeu property.
“My wife Lynn and I went to a charity function with CatWalk and we bought a stallion tour to Waikato Stud, Cambridge Stud and Trelawney, and we fell in love with the people that were doing it,” Bonnington said.
“We have got a lifestyle block in Kumeu, which has a creek that runs through it, and bought a few fillies to race and then we have bred from them. We breed from three or four mares a year, and a big thanks to Lynn for all the hard work she does with the horses at home.
“We race between 10 to 12 horses. We do a few with Milan Park, we have shares all the way through, a couple of 100 percent, and a few down with the Tylers (in Riverton) as well.”
