By Heather Anderson
The NZ$300,000 G1 Wellfield New Zealand Oaks sees a field of 16 sophomore fillies vie for Classic honours in this 2400-metre affair at Trentham Saturday. The $2.60 favourite is Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman charge Bonneval (NZ) (Makfi {GB}), who is hunting her third straight win. Successful in her lone juvenile appearance at Hastings in April, the bay resurfaced with a fifth in a Te Rapa handicap Dec. 10, before being pulled up after never getting involved in the running in the G2 Eight Carat at Ellerslie on Boxing Day. An encouraging third–one in front of Shared Secrets (NZ) (Nadeem {Aus})–after a slow beginning in the wake of stablemate and Saturday's $6.00 second choice Nicoletta (NZ) (Savabeel {Aus}) and $7.00 third pick Devise (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}) stepped up to 1600 metres in the G3 Desert Gold S. over this course Jan. 28, Bonneval landed the G2 Sir Tristram Fillies Classic directly ahead of that duo at Te Rapa Feb. 11. Transferred to Hastings for the 2100-metre G3 Lowland S. and sent off the $3.30 crowd's pick, Bonneval closed strongly to score in the final jump, besting Savvy Dreams (NZ) (Savabeel {Aus}), and the familiar foes Devise and Nicoletta Mar. 2.
Dreamcrafter (NZ) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) donned cap and gown at Arawa Park Jan. 18 and added another win to her ledger two stars on in a 1600-metre handicap at Avondale Feb. 22. The Michael Moroney and Pam Gerard-trained chestnut missed by just three-quarters of a length to the subsequently injured Eleonora (NZ) (Makfi {GB}) in the G3 McKee Family Sunline Vase going 2000 metres Mar. 4. Dame Margo Fonteyn (NZ) (High Chaparral {Ire}) completed the trifecta, one to the good of Eight Carat third-place finisher Date Night (NZ) (Savabeel {Aus}).
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