breednet.com.au

Bon’s a Pearla a Show Ring Star at 2024 Ekka

Tara Madgwick - Tuesday August 13

Thoroughbreds are taking centre stage this week at the 2024 Ekka in Brisbane and the led classes were dominated by a very interesting mare.

Bon's a Pearla won the G2 Thousand Guineas Prelude - image Grant Courtney

Six year-old Bon Hoffa mare Bon’s a Pearla was a more than useful racehorse winning the Group II MRC Thousand Guineas Prelude when trained by Kevin Corstens and she was also third in the Group I VRC Australian Guineas behind quality colts Hitotsu and Lightsabre, who are both now standing at stud.

Bred and raced by Victorian owner / breeder and syndicator Ken King, Bon’s a Pearla was subsequently sold off her top class three year-old performances to Hong Kong based owners and continued her career in the stable of David Hayes and then with PC Ng.

Advertisement

Bon’s a Pearla didn’t quite measure up to stakes class in Hong Kong, but she did win twice at Happy Valley earlier this year before earning a ticket home to retirement which has led her into the show ring in Brisbane this week.

Bon's a Pearla crowned the Supreme Champion Led Thoroughbred at the Ekka.

Prepared and shown by well known Queensland off the track re-trainer Amy Taylor, Bon’s a Pearla won her led mare class, champion led mare and then finally Supreme Champion Led Thoroughbred with the guest judge of thoroughbreds at this year’s show being leading Sydney trainer Adrian Bott.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Better Than Ready’s Metalart Wins Group 3 W J Healy Stakes
Improving off a third in the Listed Lightning Handicap at Eagle Farm recently, 4yo Better Than Ready gelding Metalart stepped up to 1200m to record his first black type success, winning the Group 3 W J Healy Stakes.
$3million Won Through Inglis Xtra Bonus
A staggering $3m has now been won as part of the Inglis Xtra Bonus Series following today’s victory by the Cody Morgan-trained 3YO Considered at Dubbo.
Unbeaten So You Think 3YO WA's New Excitement Machine
One month to the day since he first set foot on a racecourse, So You Think’s three year old son  Opportunistic remains undefeated from three starts, is a dual stakes winner with earnings of $200,250 to his name, and is WA's new rising star of the turf.
Wootton Bassett Winning Whirl
It was a red letter day for Wootton Bassett (GB) at The Curragh overnight with a treble of winners highlighted by top class filly Whirl, who captured the Group I Pretty Polly Stakes (1m2f), a race won by the mighty Via Sistina in 2023.
Euro G1 – Bridesmaid No More and Two Time Derby Hero
Aga Khan Studs don’t race a lot of geldings, but one that they do is Calandagan, who shook off his G1 bridesmaid tag winning the Group I Grand Prix de Saint Cloud in France, while in Ireland the Coolmore machine kept the winning run going to take out the Group I Irish Derby (1 ½ m).
Sires With Winners - Saturday June 28
Here is the full list of 109 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Another Aussie SW Sourced from Aga Khan Studs
When Australian investors buy tried horses out of Europe from Aga Khan Studs they know they are getting quality, but the good ones don’t come cheap with Elamaz (IRE) sourced from their draft at the Arqana Arc Sale last year for €480,000.
How Much for a Snitzel Colt from Winx?
The record price for a yearling by the late champion sire Snitzel stands at $2.8million, but that benchmark looks set to be smashed at Inglis Easter next year.
Sires With Winners - Sunday June 29
Here is the full list of 53 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Big Pedigrees Don’t Always Spell Black Type
The breeding of thoroughbreds is a very inexact science which is why we saw siblings to a pair of Group I winners fighting out the finish of a very pedestrian 1100m maiden at Ballarat on Sunday.