Quality through commitment is Glen Eden Stud's slogan and it is something the Moranding farm's Sonia Carboni is happy to live by - determined to give every horse under her care the very best of attention.
With a couple of decades of thoroughbred experience behind her, the owner and very hands-on manager of Glen Eden has worked at studs in the Hunter Valley and Victoria, at equine veterinary hospitals and at racing stables.
Steadily building up Glen Eden from a bare block in 2000, Carboni is justifiably proud of the first class facilities (including Kentucky Diamond Mesh fencing, convalescent yards, an eight-horse walker and quality pasture that is analyzed to ensure high nutritional content) on offer.
Already home to the stallions Al Samer, Illustrious Blue and Scintillo, Glen Eden - which is well placed just an hour from Melbourne on fertile land in between Kilmore and Broadford - recently welcomed the well credentialled Bon Aurum.
Settling in nicely since arriving at the farm a few weeks ago, the Group One Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes winner, says Carboni "ticks every box."
"He is a great looking horse with plenty of presence," she said, adding that "he has a terrific temperament - that little bit of cheekiness you like to see in a stallion, but he is easy to do anything with."
Described by trainer Ciaron Maher as "a tough horse, an exceptional athlete and a beautiful type," Bon Aurum was bred and raced by Ken King who will be supporting the young horse with mares as will Carboni.
"Bon Aurum's sire Bon Hoffa has been a great stallion for owner breeders and we are confident that his Group One winning son can emulate and even better his deeds," King said.
Both horses, members of the Danzig branch of the ever flourishing Northern Dancer sire line, won the Sir Rupert Clarke (a race also won by successful stallions Encosta de Lago, Testa Rossa and Exceed And Excel) Bon Hoffa in 2007 with Bon Aurum saluting nine years later.
One of 141 winners sired by the popular Bon Hoffa (who looks to have another smart one in the shape of recent Rosehill winner Don't Give A Damn who has been successful at six of his first nine starts), Bon Aurum is a grandson of dual Group Three winner Belong To Me, highly successful sire of 71 stakes winners including the Group One gallopers Forever Together, Jersey Girl, All Silent, Pippa, Proprietor, Circle Of Life, Lucky Roberto, Bulla Borghese and Miss Houdini.
With progeny earnings in excess of $9.8 million, Bon Hoffa has been doing a good job at stud. He has 74% starters to named foals and 61% winners to runners.
The winner of nine races, he won not only the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (defeating the likes of Niconero, Wonderful World, Divine Madonna, Orange County and Anamato) but also two runnings of the Bobbie Lewis Quality-Gr.3, 1200m.
And a year after his major win, Bon Hoffa was back at Caulfield finishing a gallant second to Orange County (Turffontein third) when attempting to win a second Sir Rupert Clarke.
Not taking long to strike form, Bon Aurum at just his second start at two raced away with a Geelong maiden. Rising quickly in class, he was in the placings at Flemington and Sandown before taking out the Listed Exford Plate at Flemington.
A Group Three Caulfield Guineas Prelude win was next for Bon Aurum who was caught wide from an outside gate in the Group One Caulfield Guineas won by Press Statement. Not having much go right during a short autumn campaign, he was nevertheless soon into form in the 2016 spring, second up claiming the Listed Tontonan Stakes before his Sir Rupert Clarke success over Voodoo Lad.
Hailing from a strong European family, Bon Aurum can boast amongst his relations the Group One gallopers Court Masterpiece (Sussex Stakes, Prix de la Foret) and Classic Park (Irish 1000 Guineas) and fellow Group winners Young Runaway, Recupere, Wolverton, Maybe Forever, Soon and Rumpipumpy.
Bon Aurum retires to Glen Eden as the winner of nearly $600,000 in stakes and Sonia Carboni is delighted to have him - "he is a horse who I am sure will impress broodmare owners," she said.
For further details on Bon Aurum contact Sonia on 0407 811 411 or visit online at:
https://www.gleneden.com.au/
https://www.facebook.com/glenedenagistment
https://twitter.com/soncar08
