Group Winning Mare Bonny Lass Retired

Media Release - Monday January 27

After a formidable career competing at the highest level, Graham Richardson and Rogan Norvall’s star mare Bonny Lass has been retired from racing.

Group One winner Bonny Lass has been retired.   Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)

A daughter of Super Easy, Bonny Lass made an immediate impression when winning her first start as a juvenile, followed by the first of five Group victories in the Gr.2 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m). Her two-year-old campaign was completed by placings in the Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) and Gr.1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1200m).

At three, she won the Gr.3 Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (1200m), a trend she continued into her four-year-old preparation when picking up the Gr.3 Sweynesse Stakes (1200m).

Like fine wine, Bonny Lass flourished with age and came desperately close to her elite-level breakthrough in the Gr.1 Railway (1200m) and Gr.1 Telegraph (1200m) last season, but that wait came to a triumphant end in the Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m), where she downed class galloper Crocetti to snatch top honours.

Opening her final season with a bang, Bonny Lass returned to Te Rapa and won the Gr.2 Foxbridge Plate (1200m), and after finishing eighth in the Gr.1 Railway (1200m) last Saturday, the curtain came down on a phenomenal 28-start career.

She earned just shy of $750,000 with eight wins, seven of those in the hands of her regular rider Craig Grylls.

For Richardson, few horses in his career compared to Bonny Lass.

Advertisement

“She was a natural from day one,” he said. “She won her first trial, she only had one, then she won her first start, and went straight into the Breeders’ Stakes and won that too.

“The only two horses to have won Group races at two, three, four, five and six are her and Melody Belle. I couldn’t be prouder.

“The BCD Sprint was absolutely the highlight, but her entire career was a highlight, she was just an unbelievable horse. She wasn’t always easy to ride, not nasty, but just very competitive and tried very hard.”

Out of a Le Bec Fin mare Posh Bec, Bonny Lass was never short of admirers on course, being the leading light for Brent and Wendy Cooper’s Social Racing Starting Gates Syndicate, who raced her alongside breeder Sandy Moore.

“Brent Cooper is a good friend, but he was also very good to deal with and we used to plan the horse’s programme together, which he loved doing,” Richardson said. “She’s going to be really missed.

“I don’t know what the plan of attack is now, but she’ll go back to Hallmark Stud, then Sandy Moore, who owns her, will decide that. Whether he will sell her or breed from her, I’m not sure, it’s all up in the air, but she’ll be looked after, which she deserves.” – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

Advertisment
More Reading...
G1 Goal for Slick Kiwi Sprinter
Per Incanto (USA) is renowned for his slick older sprinters and progressive 5YO Oak Hill (NZ) promises to be his next stakes-winner here in Australia.
Unbeaten Crocetti Rolled in G1 BCD Group Sprint
One of the unluckiest horses in the top echelon of New Zealand racing in recent times, Bonny Lass turned things around with a supreme front-running performance in Saturday’s Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint (1200m) at Te Rapa.
Breeders Paradise - Inglis Digital August (early) Online
An abundance of high-quality broodmares – many in foal to some of the hottest young stallions in the Southern Hemisphere – and broodmare prospects headline a “breeders’ paradise’’ in the Inglis Digital August (Early) Online Sale.
Bonny Lass Makes Owners Happy
The aptly named Bonny Lass is ensuring her sizeable and enthusiastic support crew continue to celebrate the racing and social rewards of affordable thoroughbred ownership.
Kiwi Bred 'Jenni' Scores for Maher
Lightly-raced six-year-old mare Jennivamoose scored a comfortable victory in the Donnellans The Tyremen Handicap (2500m) at The Valley on Saturday under a patient Harry Coffey ride.
Sires With Winners - Friday August 8
Here is the full list of 39 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Bonny Lass Wins G2 Foxbridge Plate
Previously a stakes winner at the ages of two, three, four and five, Bonny Lass kicked off her six-year-old season on a perfect note when she defeated a star-studded field in Saturday’s Gr.2 Waikato Stud Foxbridge Plate (1200m) at Te Rapa.
Loyalty Paying Off for Kiwi Breeder
Loyalty is a core value for Sandy Moore, and he is now reaping the rewards from that virtue with his Group One-winning mare Bonny Lass.
Queman’s Behemoth Performance At Morphettville
Not seen on race day for some 69 weeks, Shane and Cassie Oxlade’s Queman showed utter grit and determination to lead throughout at Morphettville, winning the Group 3 SAJC Behemoth Stakes (1200m) on Saturday.
First Stakes-Winner for St Mark’s Basilica
Back at Coolmore Australia this spring for his fourth season, 2021 European Horse of the Year St Mark‘s Basilica (Fr) is on the board with his first stakes-winner after Thesecretadversary rolled the favourite to win the Listed Churchill Stakes (7 ½ f) at Tipperary overnight.