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Thousand Guineas dream alive for Bon’s A Pearla
The Kevin Corstens-trained Bon’s A Perla caused an upset in Saturday’s Thousand Guineas Prelude (Gr 2, 1400m), providing her Bowness Park-based sire Bon Hoffa (Belong To Me) with his fifth stakes winner, and keeping her Thousand Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) dream alive.
Bon's A Pearla was not among the original entries for the Thousand Guineas when they closed in early August, but Corstens said the filly deserves her chance in a little over three weeks.
Providing jockey Jason Maskiell with an important win at stakes level, Bon's A Pearla ($31) registered a half-neck win from the $3.60 favourite Heresy (Street Boss), with Elusive Express (Jakkalberry) three-quarters-of-a-length away third.
Bon's A Pearla had won a Sandown maiden over 1400m at her previous outing in similar fashion to Saturday's victory at higher level.
"We've always liked her," Corstens said.
"Even when we had her first in the stable, we were patient with her, and after her last start I still said that there was plenty of improvement in the coat.
"She still has improvement to come and hopefully we get it."
Maskiell has had his ups and downs in the racing industry and was rubbed out in 2013 over a failed drug test, but has fought his way back.
He said he has worked hard to resurrect his career and was grateful for the support of Corstens and fellow trainers.
"He (Corstens) asked me how I'd go with the weight, and I said it's easy to do it for a horse you believe in," Maskiell said.
"Obviously everyone knows about my downfall and to come back, come back in a big way, it is probably the biggest race I've won since I've been back, and it is just a great thrill."
Now the winner of two of her four starts, Bon’s A Pearla is the only named foal out of the winning Duporth (Red Ransom) are Treasure Island. Her third dam is Kirtlington (Scenic), dam of Listed scorer Kalamata (Desert Prince) who in turn produced Group Three winner Stirling Grove (Mossman).
Bon Hoffa covered a book of 61 mares at a fee of $5,500 (inc GST) last year.