Written By filly Bona Sforza won the Listed Welcome Stakes last year at Riccarton on debut and 12 months later was back at the same venue on Saturday to take out the Listed NZB Insurance Stakes (1600m).
Trained by Samantha Finnegan and ridden by Ace Lawson-Carroll, she forged clear to win by three-quarters of a length.
The South Auckland apprentice jockey was having just his eighth raceday ride since returning from near career ending injuries when he reunited with Bona Sforza having also won on her last year.
“It is good to be back in the saddle and back in the winners’ circle, and doing it in a big race,” Lawson-Carroll said.
“She was my first stakes winner last year, to the day, and kicking home another one on her down there again is great.”
While the Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Warstep Stakes (2000m) at Riccarton in a fortnight looms as an obvious target, Finnegan said she will likely bypass the fillies feature in favour of flying to Australia to tackle the Gr.1 Australasian Oaks (2000m) at Morphettville on ANZAC Day.
“There is an option to go to Australia in two weeks, so we will talk with the owners this week about that, but if we go to 2000m she will probably be going to Australia,” Finnegan said.
“There’s the Australasian Oaks in Adelaide, which is a Group One worth $1 million, and with her going so well you would probably have to have a go.
“It could possibly be her only run and then she can go out and get ready for a spring campaign.”
Purchased for $150,000 by Samatha Finnegan from the Highline Thoroughbreds Book 1 draft at Karaka in 2024, Bona Sforza was purchased originally from the Widden draft at the MM National Weanling Sale for $65,000 by Highline Thoroughbreds/Catheryne Bruggeman/Paul Moroney Bloodstock.
She is the best of three winners from three foals to race from stakes placed Snitzel mare Thwayya.
Bona Sforza is one of six stakes-winners for Widden Stud’s Written By and is bred on what has become a very successful nick for him with daughters of Snitzel. The nick has produced 10 winners from 15 starters with Bona Sforza the third stakes-winner joining The Playwright and The Novelist.
