Red Letter Day for Bon Hoffa

Mark Smith - Saturday September 23

A red-letter day for Bowness Stud's Bon Hoffa with his hugely promising son Don't Give A Damn leading home a 1-2-4 finish for his sire in the Highway Handicap at Rosehill only to be topped by the Ciaron Maher-trained Bons Away who downed the Everest hope Brave Smash (JPN) in the Listed Testa Rossa Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield.

Under a well-timed finished by Linda Meech, Bons Away defeated Brave Smash by a head with the veteran Fast 'N' Rocking two lengths back in third.  (photo Grant Courtney)

It was the fourth consecutive win for the 4yo gelding who was having his first taste at stakes level.


Carrying the same colours as his Group I winning sire, Bons Away advances his record to 5 wins, 1 second and 1 third from 9 starts with earnings of $140,090. 

"He's a horse with a lot of confidence at the moment and has really got his tail up," Meech said.

"He would have let off a ripping sectional from the 500 to the 200 metres and then got a little bit tired, but he got a break on the second horse and was able to hold him."

"I was on the back of Damian Lane to the turn and was happy to miss the trouble. I think the wind is making it difficult for some horses today, playing with their balance.

"The turn of foot he showed today makes you think he might be able to get away with a nice race over the carnival - he travelled like a good horse all the way and he keeps winning."

Bred by Parador Park Thoroughbreds, Bons Away is the third winner from as many foals out of the Mossman mare Villa Albani who was a $2,000 purchase at the 2012 Great Southern Bloodstock Sale.

Her dam Vila Valencia is a sister to Maid For Me the dam of dual Group II winner and Group I placed Maid For Me (Sebring) and a half-sister to the stakes-placed Patou the dam of Group I Golden Slipper winner Polar Success (Success Express).

Villa Albani has a 2yo Street Boss (USA) filly named Street Icon and a yearling filly by Bon Hoffa. She was covered by Kuroshio last spring.

Bons Away becomes the third stakes winner for Bon Hoffa who stands at Bowness Stud for a fee of $5,500. 

Advertisment
More Reading...
Oodnadatta Makes it Eleven for Too Darn Hot
A son of the hottest first-season sire from an unstoppable stable, the 2-year-old colt Oodnadatta made a winning debut in the Bet365 Maiden Plate (1200m) at Geelong on Thursday.  
Strong Supplementaries added to Great Southern
Weanlings by sires such as Snitzel, Written Tycoon, The Autumn Sun and Home Affairs – as well as a G1 broodmare - headline a strong group of supplementary entries for the Great Southern Sale.
Sires With Winners - Thursday June 6
Here is the full list of 36 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Aga Khan Studs Winning Run – Another New SW
Aga Khan Studs have been having a very good year with two Classic winners carrying their colours in Epsom Oaks winner Ezeliya and French 1000 Guineas winner Rouhiya and they produced another blue-blood stakes-winner overnight with quality Shamardal mare Tarawa breaking through for her first Black Type win in the Listed Glencairn Stakes (1m1f) at Leopardstown.
Entries Open for Karaka 2025
Entries are now open for NZB’s Karaka 2025 National Yearling Sales Series, with the action-packed week of selling set to take place at the Karaka Sales Centre from Sunday 26 January.
La Crique Primed for Queensland Debut
It’s been a long road to get to Queensland with dual Group One winner La Crique, but trainers Simon and Katrina Alexander are relieved they are finally there.
Godolphin Loses Land Tax Exemption in High Court
There are some tax related court decisions that have significantly more widespread implications to the horse industry than others, one such decision, relating to land tax exemption, was handed down in the High Court yesterday.
Almanzor Filly Primed for Oaks
Moonlight Magic beat all but one of the boys in the Gr.1 Queensland Derby (2400m) at Eagle Farm last weekend, and trainer Andrew Forsman is hoping she can go one better against her own sex when she returns to the Brisbane venue on Saturday.
New Chapter Ahead for Molly Bloom - Set to Join Chris Waller
Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott believe their Group One-winning filly Molly Bloom is in peak condition for one final flourish for their Matamata stable in Saturday’s Gr.1 Queensland Oaks (2200m) at Eagle Farm.
Making Sense of Second Season Sires
With less than two months of the racing season to run our intriguing cohort of second season sires is a competitive one with four of them siring the winners of over $4million this season and five of them have sired Australian Group I winners, but will they be here for the long haul? We take a look at what we know so far as fact.