KEY POINTS:
The winners of the two feature New Zealand races on Saturday could well clash in Wellington next month.
The day's principal event was the Group Three $100,000 Merial Mile Handicap at Awapuni, Palmerston North, which was won by the promising Bonjour.
Less than half an hour earlier, the $30,000 Whangarei Spring Plate Handicap (1200m) at Ruakaka was won in brilliant fashion by Dezigna.
Bonjour and Dezigna are scheduled to meet in the Captain Cook Stakes (1600m) at Trentham on October 27.
However, for the meantime, the pair will go their separate ways for their next starts.
Bonjour is headed for the $65,000 Matamata Cup (1600m) on October 13, while Dezigna will take in the $100,000 Kelt Memorial Handicap (1400m) at Hastings on October 6.
Bonjour is a lightly raced seven-year-old gelding by Frenchpark. He has had 26 starts for eight wins and earnings of $275,000.
Bonjour did not start racing until a 4-year-old after proving a handful for Otaki horseman Chris Rutten to break in, and cost Horowhenua market gardener Mario Moretto only $4750.
Moretto, from Manakau, near Levin, was directed to Bonjour byOtaki trainer Karen Zimmerman. "Karen said there was a nice three-year-old down at Chris Rutten's," said Moretto. "I went down and got him. I just took a bit of a punt. I don't know anything about horses."
Moretto said Bonjour was a nutcase and Rutten deserved praise for his perseverance. "Chris was the making of this horse," he said. "He took a long time to break in. He was mad."
Bonjour was initially trained at Awapuni by Roydon Bergerson, who operates the Palmerston North arm of the Graeme Rogerson stable.
Bergerson prepared him for one win from seven starts, but Moretto said Bergerson had the horse at his worst. "Roydon did unbelievable work with him because he was nuts," he said.
Bonjour was subsequently transferred to Zimmerman to be closer to home for Moretto. Zimmerman has had him for nearly two years and he has raced 18 times for her for seven wins and seven placings.
He was having his third start this campaign on Saturday, after finishing mid-field in the $250,000 weight-for-age Mudgway Stakes (1400m) at Hastings on September 1.
Zimmerman said Bonjour already rated up with the best. She had trained behind the likes of Cinder Bella, King Of Ashford, Rodin and Go Vicar.
He will attempt to give Zimmerman her third Matamata Cup win, with King Of Ashford and Rodin being previous winners.
A $5.10 second favourite, Bonjour raced handy throughout for rider Chris Johnson. He was into the clear at the top of the straight and sustained a strong finish to score by a neck, from last year's race winner, Floydeboy. He settled second-last, was still well back on the turn.
He is likely to contest the Stoney Bridge Stakes (1600m) at Hastings and should not be under estimated, said rider Gavin McKeon. "He'll be a live chance in the Stoney Bridge," McKeon said.
"It was a high pressure race and he coped with it. Now he just has to step up to weight-for-age class."
Buena Ventura was half a head back fourth and the same margin away fifth was Star O'The Ball.
The favourite, Samurai, was 10th but less than three lengths from the winner. He got back and ran on in the straight.
- NZPA
