Two big supporters of the NZB Insurance Pearl Bonus Series were rewarded with an extra $10,000 in winnings this week after winning bonus races at Avondale.
Turrett won a 1600 metre maiden for John McPherson, Kylie Fawcett, Rob Joyce, Dwayne Todd and Jeremy Ruddle, and Vamos Bebe won the 1400 metre maiden for the Taylor Family Trust and Trelawney Thoroughbreds Limited.
For Matamata based trainer Kylie Fawcett is was the sixth Pearl Bonus she has won as an owner and her fourth as a trainer since the scheme started in 2013.
By Reliable Man out of the Flying Spur mare Barbette, Turrett was having only her fourth race day start. She had one start last season as a late three-year-old but her three races this season have all been in NZB Insurance Pearl Bonus races.
“It’s about trying to get the best return for the breeder and the owner,” Fawcett said.
“Unfortunately, though there is nothing to go on with, with only one rating 65 in the North Island in the next month and that is over 1400 metres and this mare is already looking for more ground.
“It’s nice to try and progress with fillies and mares’ races when you are bringing them through the grades.
“She is going to be a nice progressive staying mare going forward especially next autumn in her next prep.”
Turrett is raced by a syndicate put together by Fawcett for her breeder John McPherson, a dairy farmer from Putaruru with a passion for breeding. McPherson breeds from around three mares and plans to eventually send Turrett to stud.
The Taylor Family and Trelawney are also old hands at winning Pearl Bonuses
The latest addition to their lovely band of winning race mares Vamos Bebe has taken a while to come to hand but after been beaten only a short head in her first start as a four-year-old looks like she will live up to her blue blood breeding.
She is by the champion sire I Am Invincible, out of the group one winning Dane Shadow mare Hurtle Myrtle. A winner of four races, Hurtle Myrtle also improved with age winning her group one in the Myer as a five-year-old. At four she won the group two Dane Ripper Stakes and the Sapphire Stakes and was placed at all group levels at three.
Holyfield a younger full brother to Vamos Bebe, has recorded four wins including the Gr.3 Ming Dynasty Stakes at Rosehill last weekend, and as a two-year-old last season the Gr.3 Schweppervescence.
Vamos Bebe was purchased by Cherry Taylor from her breeders Segenhoe Stud and is trained by Jamie Richards at Matamata. -Michelle Saba, NZTBA
