Bonnie’s Chance fights for win in mile

Press, 1 March 1982, Page 26

Bonnie’s Chance fights for win in mile

By

PAUL MEIN

The brilliance of Bonnie’s Chance was tested to the full as she fought her way to a close but spectacular win over Hands Down in record time at the Timaru Trotting Club’s meeting at Washdyke on Saturday.

Bonnie's Chance had only a heck to spare over a superbly fit Hands Down in the Couplands Flying Mile and she was forced to equal Lord Module’s New Zealand record to. win. As expected she breezed straight to the front, sped over i the first 400 m in 295, with a stablemate, Sweet Jessica, and Dundas in pursuit. She rushed through the first , : 800m in 595, opening a break of two- lengths over Hands Down, which was pushed three wide until, he got cover behind the mare 700 m from home.

Bonnie’s Chance seemed to have the race in safe keeping : on the turn, but no-one, Richard Brosnan : included, had banked on the finishing powers of Hands Down. The big Armbro Del gelding lunged through on the inside of Bonnie’s Chance 250 m out, and. for an instant, looked as though he would run past.the mare. Bonnie’s Chance, however, came back spiritedly and with Brosnan hard at work, managed to keep Hands Down out by a neck, in a ' brilliant Imin 56.25. Incredibly it was Bonnie’s Chance’s fourth, national re-

cord this season. She set fresh figures for a mare when she went Imin 58s in the Breeders Stakes, bettered them when going Imin 57.1 s in the Ansett Flying Mile on January 4, went quicker again in the Pan Am Mile (Imin 56.75) and then, jolted along by Hands Down, equalled the New Zealand record on Saturday. The small reward for her labours ($3lBO winning stake) lifted her stake earnings to $171,750, the result of 31 wins and 14 platings: . . According to her trainer, Richard Brosnan, the mare will be back in action 1 again

for the 3200 m Easter Cup at Addington, in which she will again meet Hands Down, at a distance more to his liking. The result could well have been different on Saturday had not Hands Down been forced three wide through the first 700 m. He kept on generously to the line, an ever ,diminishing neck from the winner in Imin 56.35, Trevira made ground strongly also for third, two lengths and a, half from the winner in a creditable Imin 56.85. . Sweet Jessica led the rest in, with Dundas next.