Oscar makes history

Oscar Bonavena (Majestic Son) etched his name into harness racing Green Mile history today when he took out the Woodland Stud Green Mile for the third time at Mount Harding Raceway.

In a small field of just six, Oscar Bonavena left the gate well in the hands of Blair Orange and when the field headed into the first bend he was in front with main danger Muscle Mountain left parked. The one, two order remained the same all the way to the home straight and Muscle Mountain got within half a head of Oscar Bonavena at the finish.

“He left the gate well. They just changed the bit on him today and he raced a bit fierce and didn’t really settle in front which was a wee bit of a concern but when Muscle Mountain really came at him be dug deep,” Orange told Trackside viewers.

Co-trainer Nathan Purdon said it was decided after working the entire during the week that a gear change was needed.

“He usually wears a double wire bit on race day. I trained him in that the other day and he wouldn’t touch the bit at all. His mouth was getting just a wee bit sensitive so we dropped him back to a standard snaffle bit. I was hoping we would get away with it being over a short distance and that it might just help him leave the gate a bit stronger too. Everything fell into place but you run a wee bit of a risk doing it,” he said.

OSCAR BONAVENA REPLAY

The winning time of 1-57.5 was a new race and track record. The previous record of 1-58.4 was held by 2017 winner Everybody Knows.

Credit must go to the Purdon team who have collectively kept Oscar Bonavena’s legs ‘young’ to win $965,558, with millionaire status surely just around the corner.

“It shows you how much we push out young trotters in New Zealand. European trotters don’t start until they’re late three year olds, early four year olds. They carry on racing until they’re nine or ten and that’s just a normal thing. It’s a bit abnormal seeing an older trotter like him going around in New Zealand.”

The eleven year old entire is not only at the peak of his racing life, he’s also mixing racing with stud duties.

“He’s still a very quiet stallion really. He’s been led off a filly before (in work) and you don’t really hear anything from him. It’s not until you take him off the place that he really sparks up. We take him off the property at least once a week sometimes twice a week. He’s served up to sixteen mares.”

In his seventy four start career Oscar Bonavena has won eleven Group races and today was his fourth win on a grass surface.

“Being an older horse I think he loves a bit of give out of the ground because he is a wee bit jointy.”

The horse is named after Oscar Bonavena, an Argentine heavyweight professional boxer with a career record of 58 wins, 9 losses and 1 draw who enjoyed professional success in both Argentina and the United States.

“Potentially if he comes out of the race well I might even nominate him for a race on Friday (Group Three Worthy Queen). Otherwise, he could potentially go to Invercargill (David Moss Stakes). He’ll go through to the Anzac Cup, Rowe Cup and the Slot race. We’ll make an assessment after that whether we pull pin or carry on. At the moment he’s as sound and as happy as he’s ever been.”

For complete race results, click here.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink