Pat Hyland is counting on a lesson learned to give Bonaria every chance of making a winning racetrack farewell in the Queen of the Turf Stakes.
Bonaria is expected to be retired after the $1 million race at Randwick on Saturday and Hyland says the mistakes that led to her failure in last year’s edition haven’t been repeated.
Bonaria
“We came up and ran her in the Coolmore Classic last year and then came back a fortnight later for the Queen of the Turf and she may have been a little bit flat. She didn’t race well,” Hyland said.
Bonaria has had almost a month off since finishing midfield in a Group Three race at Flemington but Hyland is sure he has got his timing right with the Myer Stakes winner.
“I’ve trained her a little differently this year because she appears to race better when she has a fair gap between runs,” he said.
Hyland said he would value a Queen of the Turf win more than her barnstorming victory from the back in the Group Myer during last year’s Melbourne Cup carnival.
“If she could win this race tomorrow it would be the greatest because you know it’s her last run,” he said.
Bonaria will have an appointment with a Widden Stud stallion in the breeding season.
“I don’t think her owner Robert Anderson wants to race her on any more,” Hyland said.
“She’s booked to go to Widden Stud on Sunday and I’m expecting that’s the way it will be.”
Bonaria has an inside draw but Hyland can’t see the rails alley making a difference to her chances.
“She’s a mare which has got to be ridden quietly and finish late,” he said.
“Drawn one is not going to help tomorrow and I’d be happy to see her last around the turn and see her flashing home.
“If she flashed home and didn’t win, she’d pick up a cheque anyway.”
And Hyland will be hopimg the cheque is large enough to send Bonaria’s career earnings past $1 million.
“If she couldn’t win that would be a great way for her to go out,” he said.
