Bonnie Joan & Break Dance
Article courtesy of Taylor Stong, May 2017
The star 3yr-old pacing filly Bonnie Joan is perpetuating the name of the founder of the Tuapeka Lodge stud, the late Joan Cummings. Tuapeka Lodge, at Lawrence (Central Otago) is now in the hands of her sons, Dan and Peter Cummings and daughter Julie Davie, who bred and race Bonnie Joan.
Bonnie Joan won the $45,000 Southland Oaks (2700m, mobile) at Invercargill on Sunday in National record time for a 3yr-old filly of 3.17.1 (1.57.4 mile rate) and within 0.1sec of the record for all genders set by Sushi Sushi at Alexandra Park in 2011. Bonnie Joan had scorched over 1700m (mobile) in 1.53.8 rate in wet conditions at her previous start at Forbury Park, a New Zealand record for a 3yr-old. A daughter of Somebeachsomewhere – Wave Runner, Bonnie Joan was broken in, gaited and qualified on grass at Balfour (Southland) as a 2yr-old when trained by Dan Cummings, She was then passed to West Melton trainer Cran Dalgety for racing. She finished second to Delightful Memphis in the group three Leonard Memorial Stakes at Addington in her lone start at two. She has won seven of her 10 starts at three.
Joan Cummings established Tuapeka Lodge in 1965 with the mare Charlton Lady (Hal Tryax –Loyal Winner).
Wave Runner, the dam of Bonnie Joan, traces to Mains Lady. “Mum bought Mains Lady (in 1969) as she was by Light Brigade out of a mare by U Scott,” recalled Dan. Light Brigade and U Scott were both leading sires and leading broodmare sires on several occasions.
Mains Lady had then produced a foal who died. Her best effort in 33 starts over five seasons of racing was a second placing.
Mains Lady left four foals for the late Cliff and Joan Cummings, the best of them Tuapeka Dream, who won five races when trained by Ali Malcolmson in Dunedin. Tuapeka Dream (by Lumber Dream) returned to Tuapeka Lodge for breeding and left Maureen’s Dream, a speedy Lordship mare who won over 2000m (mobile) in 2.27.7 (1.58.8 mile rate) at Addington in 1985 when trained by Richard Brosnan. Maureen’s Dream left Seamoon (by Smooth Fella), a winner also trained by Richard Brosnan and the dam of Wave Runner, a Live Or Die mare who won eight races when trained by Simon Adlam and leased out by Tuapeka Lodge. Two of the lessees Mike Atkins and Greg Adlam subsequently bought Wave Runner.
Break Dance, a half sister by Art Major to Bonnie Joan, is leased out by Tuapeka Lodge. Break Dance won the final of the Southern Belle series at Winton in 1.53. 3 in April from the Waikouaiti stable of Amber Hoffman. Break Dance was successful at Alexandra Park last Friday. The first four foals of Wave Runner have been winners and the fifth, Kilowatt Kid has qualified.
Bonnie Joan
Bonnie Joan was sensational winning a heat of the Nevele R Fillies series at Forbury Park on Thursday night. She ran her rivals ragged in New Zealand record time for a 3yr-old of any gender, 2.00.2 (1.53.8 mile rate) for 1700m (mobile) in drizzling rain on a saturated track. Her time was 0.2sec inside the record set by the filly Ideal Belle at Alexandra Park in 2013.
The time for Bonnie Joan was a track record for all ages, eclipsing the 2.01.8 mark set by filly Adore Me as a 3yr-old in ideal daytime conditions in 2012. The previous best in a Nevele R series heat at Forbury Park was 2.02.9 by Safedra in 2013.
Bonnie Joan had won over 2400m (mobile) in 2.53.8 (1.56 mile rate), 0.8sec outside a NZ record four days earlier at Winton.
“She is a nice filly who has got gate speed. It was a good effort to do those times in a few days and she did it comfortably,’’ said her driver Dexter Dunn. “Nathan did a good job of looking after her.” Dunn was referring to Nathan Williamson who cared for Bonnie Jean during the week at Ryal Bush.
Bonnie Joan had won the first heat of the Nevele R series at Ashburton on February 4 in 1.52.8 for the mile.
The daughter of Somebeachsomewhere – Wave Runner is trained by Cran Dalgety for the Tuapeka Lodge syndicate comprising Peter and Dan Cummings and Julie Davie. Bonnie Joan is a half sister to Break Dance, who won the final of the Southern Belle series at Winton last Sunday in 1.53.3. The Tuapeka Lodge syndicate have Break Dance leased out but the stud operation at Lawrence (Central Otago) sold her dam, Wave Runner, who won eight races.
Bonnie Joan gave Dalgety and Dunn their fourth win in a Nevele R series heat at Forbury Park. They also won with Safedra, Donegal Delight (2011) and Angela’s Dream (2008). Dalgety also won the 2007 heat with Dontdrinkthendrive, driven by Mark Jones. Dalgety won the final in 2001 with Sparks A Flyin. She won a heat at Ashburton and did not race at Forbury Park.
Preferred (1983) and Venus Serena (2014) have gone on to win the final after success in the Forbury Park heat.
Bonnie Joan is ineligible for the final heat of the series at Addington on April 21. The $140,000 final is there on May 12.
Bonnie Jean ended the unbeaten record in 10 starts of Partyon, who raced in the open and faded to fifth, 2.6 lengths from the winner. “I think it was just the speed they went in her first race since March 3,” said trainer –driver Mark Purdon. Partyon will now go to the final heat, along with stablemate Spanish Armada, who won a heat at Addington on March 16.
Break Dance
Last-start 1.53.3 mile winner Break Dance has another chance to continue the brilliant recent run of the offspring of Tuapeka Lodge-bred progeny.
Break Dance and last-start 1.53.8 mile-rating national record breaker Bonnie Joan were both bred by the Lawrence-based operation from broodmare Wave Runner. Tuapeka Lodge has a racing stake in both horses through the Tuapeka Lodge Syndicate.
The family-run breeding establishment, owned by siblings Peter and Dan Cummings and their sister, Julie Davie, has bred five foals from eight-race winner Wave Runner. Digital Art and Tuapeka Sky join Break Dance and Bonnie Joan to give the mare a 100% winning strike rate from her progeny, who have made the races. Tuapeka Lodge sold the mare’s only other foal, Kilowatt Kid, for $24,000 at the 2016 yearling sales. The pacer looks on track to keep his mother’s starter-to-winners ratio intact after qualifying in January for Invercargill trainer Alister Black.
Wave Runner was then sold when Tuapeka Lodge decided to scale back its mare numbers. She was purchased by Mike Atkins and Greg Adlam, who originally raced the mare on lease from Tuapeka Lodge. The pair have bred a Sir Lincoln foal from Wave Runner and have her in foal to up and coming Macca Lodge based sire, Net Ten EOM.
Article copies from Otago Daily Times, Johnny Turner.
