Canterbury, Ballina previews: Mark Minervini keen to make an Impact

Daily Telegraph

29-04-2025

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Newcastle trainer Mark Minervini is enjoying a purple patch of form with his team with six winners from his last 15 starters and heads to Sydney optimistic about the chances of Bonjour Madame and Star Impact.
Bonjour Madame has made rapid progress to find herself in midweek company at just her fourth start after an encouraging debut third at Taree on February 25 before winning her next two starts impressively.
She to Taree with an all-the-way maiden win before stepping up to a Benchmark 64 at Wyong and proving too good for Broadway Follies and Reducio.
'She impressed me the other day with her win and she was well ridden by Braith Nock,' said Minervini.
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'He elected to take the sit behind the first two and when she sprinted in the straight, I thought she was pretty good for a filly only having her third race start and who still have a bit of improvement in her.
'It was a decent step up in grade to go to a provincial Benchmark 64 at Wyong.'
The three-year-old steps out in the Benchmark 64 Handicap (1200m) where she has 57.5kg with Tim Clark to ride.
'One of the reasons we booked Tim is because he is such a great on pace rider and the other is how well he rides at Canterbury,' Minervini said.
'I'm not too concerned by the heavy track, he two wins were on the soft and she was very good.
'My only little query is barrier 7. I'm hoping for another scratching or two from the race.
'If she is as strong through the line as she has been, then you would think she would have to be in the finish.'
Stablemate Star Impact is the outsider of the field in the Benchmark 78 Handicap (1550m) but Minervini expects her to be very competitive.
The six-year-old had no luck when slow away at Wyong over 1350m first-up before an improved run stepping up to 1600m when a length-and-a-half fifth to Fiftyfivechevy at Newcastle on April 12.
'I thought stepping up from 1350m to a mile second-up, she was there at the top of the straight to be right in the finish but her condition just gave out the last 100m or so,' he said.
'She has taken good benefit out of that and I expect her to go there just about at her peak.
'I think she gets in very well at the weights with 52.5kg after Molly's (Bourke) claim.
'The heavy track won't bother her, she really appreciates the sting out of the ground, especially as she has gotten older.
'While she hasn't won on town, she has always acquitted herself well and has placed a couple of times including a Midway last year and she never been as well weighted as she is this week.
'It wouldn't surprise me at all if she shook the life out of this race.'
Meanwhile, trainers Robert and Luke Price have elected to bring Island Dec back in grade and distance hoping she can get a confidence boosting win in the Benchmark 72 (1100m).
The three-year-old scored a first-up win at Canterbury before contesting the Group 1 Surround Stakes and Group 3 P.J. Bell Stakes at her last two starts.
'Back in grade and back to 1100m to help her get the little one per centres right,' said Luke Price.
'I just want to teach her to settle better early in her races and finish off stronger.
'This is a good chance to help her do that and get her benchmark points up and get her confidence up.'
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Trainer Paul Shailer advised to be forgiving of the last start failure of Guarded Optimist and expects the gelding to bounce in a big way when he crosses the border.
Guarded Optimist was back from $3.80 into $3.10 favourite but only beat three home when eighth behind San Jose Boy over 1800m in a Benchmark 58 at the Gold Coast on April 11.
'It wasn't ideal. The track was playing in favour of leaders or those up on the speed and he just got back in the ruck where it was impossible to make ground,' said Shailer.
'It was a bit of forgive run, he has come through it really well thought and this looks his race to lose really.
The four-year-old drops back in grade and steps up slightly in distance when he contests the Class 1 and Maiden Plate at set weight over 1915m with Dylan Turner on board from barrier 2.
Turner rode the gelding when a length second behind Sacred Bull in an 1800m Class 1 at the Gold Coast on February 22 before Michael Rodd partnered him to a length second behind Ferino over the same distance in the same grade at Eagle Farm on March 12.
Those performances definitely put him right in contention here.
'From a soft gate, he should get a nice run in a race that lacks a fair bit of depth so he looks really well suited,' Shailer said.
'I'm sure he will be very hard to beat.'
Guarded Optimist has already proven to be a bargain buy for his owners including Newington Farm who purchased him as a tried horse on Inglis Digital last September for $2,250.
He was originally sold as a yearling at Karaka for $150,000 and then again at the NZB Ready To Run Sale for the same amount in 2022.
He is by Almanzor who won the French Derby (2100m) as well as the Irish Champion Stakes and Champion Stakes at Ascot and is from a daughter Hurricane Run who won the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and Irish Derby among his four Group 1 victories.
'He was an ex-Freedman (Anthony and Sam) from Victoria who won his first start then lost a bit of form after that.
'He looks like a horse that is we can stretch him out over a bit of a trip, he might be able to win a few races.'