The real Bonjoy brought her A Game to the south-west on Saturday and a class field of sprinters had no answer to her superior turn of foot in the $150,000 LR Bunbury Stakes (1400m).
Bonjoy fulfilled a feature-race hat-trick in the $100,000 Ascot Mile (1600m) twelve months ago but was unplaced in all five outings during a summer campaign for trainer Jason Miller. She resumed after a quick break yesterday but missed the kick and was relegated to the tail of the field until well into the straight.
Stewards reported she was held up until passing the 150m and Miller admitted he was also suffering in the stands. “I was in a world of pain at the top of the straight but Clint (Johnston-Porter) gets on so well with her and he just found a way through the traffic. It’s great to see her back to her best. She’s looking better in the coat and it’s become a bit darker and shinier.”
Bonjoy (Photo / Western Racepix) was only in the paddock for three and a half weeks so some residual fitness and freshness in her legs made all the difference when she overwhelmed the leaders in an all-mares finished from Fast Flicker (A Lot) and London’s Image (Headwater).
The daughter of Maschino was bred and sold by Alwyn Park’s John Andrew for $60,000 at the 2021 Perth Magic Millions Yearling Sale. Her strike-rate of 12 wins in 25 starts includes a LR Starstruck Classic (1600m) for earnings over $665,000 including Westspeed bonuses of $132,000.
“She was the best-performed horse in the field and was stiff not to win one and make the (G1) Railway Stakes back in November,” Johnston-Porter recalled. “I’ve always had faith in her. She’s got me out of some sticky situations in the past and I knew she could rattle home today.”
Bonjoy is the first foal from Amity Belle (Snitzel) who is an unraced half-sister to LR Sheila Gwynne Classic (1400m) winner Dendee (Denman). She races in the Coral Park Stud colours of part-owners Glenn and Kath Money and they also have her yearling full-brother by Maschino.
The Bunbury Stakes continued Miller’s good week having trained the Anita Vale Stud-bred gelding History Won’t Care (Universal Ruler) to a Belmont victory on Wednesday. And stablemate Magical Sequence (Rommel) made it 5 wins from 10 starts at Ascot last Saturday.
Miller and his wife Sarah purchased another Maschino at the 2026 Perth Magic Millions when bidding $70,000 for the filly from Bergantina (Passenger) offered (as agent) by J Farms owner Janey Napoli. She is a half-sister to Epona Classic (1200m) winner Sockoff (Sessions) and the Millers were delighted to secure her at the Swan Valley Sale.
“Maschino has built a strong reputation for producing athletic, well-balanced types that combine speed with stamina, passing on the strength and physicality he displayed during his own racing career,” they posted on Facebook. “She’s a filly with exciting upside with a pedigree to match and they’re qualities we’ve seen first-hand through our own Stakes-winning mare Bonjoy.”
