The daughter of Makfi made the perfect start to her career with victory at Hastings on Saturday in the Bec, Brad & Richard Turn 40 1300.
"She was a bit green and she's not a natural two-year-old so she will keep
getting better," said Andrew Forsman, who trains Bonneval with Murray Baker."She's a filly, and a well-bred one at that, and there's a Listed two-year-old race at Riccarton for her. We could look at going down there and then turning her out and come back for the three-year-old features."
The Berkley Stud Champagne Stakes will be run on the Christchurch course on May 7.
A $150,000 Karaka purchase, Bonneval is a half-sister to the Group Three winners Full Of Spirit and Lady Cumquat with their dam, the Zabeel mare Imposingly, a three-quarter sister to the Group One winners Champagne and St Reims.
"She's a really nice type of filly and we've thought all the way through that she's pretty smart," Forsman said.
The winner of two of her three trials, Bonneval jumped well to sit in second spot to the turn and she rallied strongly late in the piece to gain the upper hand.
'"She's still got a bit to learn and she only really knuckled down to it the last bit – she's going to improve a lot," rider Matt Cameron said.
Fellow debutante Kariokka kicked on bravely for second after making the running while Jackson Road held on to third from the favourite Karavali. She was tardily out of the barrier and made good ground from the tail of the field. – NZ Racing Desk.
