The highly fancied Kiwi mare Bonneval will have to pass a vet’s check on Thursday morning to get the all clear to take her place in the field for the Group 1 $3.15m BMW Caulfield Cup (2400m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
Bonneval, above, will have to undergo a vet’s check before taking her place in the Caulfield Cup Field. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Racing Victoria Stewards noted in their report following the completion of the Caulfield Guineas Race Day at Caulfield last Saturday that Bonneval had pulled up slightly lame in the near foreleg after finishing sixth to Gailo Chop in the Group 1 $1m Ladbrokes Stakes (2000m).
Co-trainer Murray Baker dismissed that suggestion and said that Bonneval had pulled up in great shape and would be fit to back up this Saturday in the Caulfield Cup.
“There’s nothing amiss with her and she will be ready to run the race of her life,” Baker said.
“She seems perfect.”
“It is a high-class field, there are 17 very good horses and there will be a lot of luck in the running.
“She is fit and she has a good record at 2400 metres – she has won two Oaks, so she should get the trip and she has a top-class jockey in Kerrin McEvoy.
“She will be in the second half of the field.”
But stewards informed Baker today that after their vet had inspected Bonneval again this morning at her Flemington stables that they considered the mare still to be not one hundred per cent in her action and will have to undergo a further inspection on Thursday.
In-form jockey Kerrin McEvoy will be having his first ride on Bonneval in the Caulfield Cup and even though the mare has drawn awkwardly at barrier fourteen, she is still very much in contention at $8 equal second favourite with Ladbrokes.com.au.
Bonneval suffered her first defeat from her last seven starts at her latest outing when sixth in the Ladbrokes Stakes after starting off the Melblurne Spring Carnival in great style with a win in the Group 2 $250,000 Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes (1600m) at The Valley on September 9 following by a win in the Group 1 $750,000 Hyland Race Colours Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield on October 1.
The Aidan O’Brien trained Irish stayer Johannes Vermeer with Ben Melham to ride drew barrier two and has been installed the $4.20 favourite for the Caulfield Cup following his eye catching second to Gailo Chop in the Ladbrokes Stakes.
