Cover image courtesy of Kenton Wright (Race Images)
Written by Renee Geelen
Widden Stud have purchased Group 1-winning mare Bonny Lass (NZ) (Super Easy {NZ}) for NZ$480,000 via Gavelhouse Plus on Thursday. The mare initially passed in with a reserve of NZ$500,000, and Widden Stud negotiated with the owners via the platform. She will head to Southport Tycoon.
“Widden enquired about the horse with Mark Baker who knows the mare well and is a very good judge, and he was full of praise for her. She is an attractive type, with an attractive race record,” said Andrew Swales, representative from Widden Stud.
“She was a G2 winner and G1 placed at 2, that trained on to win a feature G1 WFA Sprint.” Bred by Sandy Moore, she was raced in partnership with Brent and Wendy Cooper and their Social Racing Starting Gates Syndicate. She won on debut at two in January, adding the G2 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes at her second start. Going into the two Kiwi Group 1 juvenile races as an unbeaten filly, she was third in both, then returned at three to add another Group win.
Bonny Lass winning the G2 Foxbridge Plate | Image courtesy of Kenton Wright (Race Images)
In the summer of 2024, Bonny Lass had three Group 1 starts in succession, running second in the G1 Railway Stakes, third in the G1 Telegraph Stakes and winning the G1 Waikato Sprint, beating Group 1 winners Crocetti (NZ) (Zacinto {GB}) and Callsign Mav (NZ) (Atlante). She added the G2 Foxbridge Plate the following spring and retires with eight wins, eight placings and NZ$774,950 in stakes from 26 starts.
“In terms of mating plans, shes a nice mare that we have targeted to support our new stallion Southport Tycoon. We thought she was good buying, we have used Gavelhouse in the past to source nice well performed and bred mares.”
Her sire Super Easy (NZ), a son of Darci Brahma (NZ) who won 15 races and multiple stakes races in Singapore, has sired seven stakes winners. He is out of good broodmare Parfore (NZ) (Gold Brose) who also produced five stakes winners including Group 1 winners Tiger Tees (NZ) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Terravista (Captain Rio {GB}), Group 2 winner Ball Of Muscle (Dubawi {Ire}) as well as Listed winner Our Lukas (NZ) (Generous {Ire}).
Bonny Lass auction | Image courtesy of Gavelhouse
Bonny Lass is out of stakes placed Posh Bec (NZ) (Le Bec Fin {NZ}), who has also produced Bonny Lass’s full brother stakes placed Clark Kent (NZ). Posh Bec is a half-sister to G3 HKJC Premier Cup-placed Time To Celebrate (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}).
