Leading breeze-up purchase Senorita Bonita justifies punchy price tag at Newmarket

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It has been an eventful three months for Senorita Bonita as she was back to being top of the class in Friday’s Duchess of Cambridge Stakes.

The bright chestnut failed to attract much interest in the early part of her life as Michael and Anne Gaffney of Churchtown House and Hawes Studs had brought her back unwanted from the sales for 75,000gns as a foal and a yearling.

They then decided to breeze the daughter of Starspangledbanner with Mark Flannery’s Egmont Stud and she achieved the highest price at the Tattersalls Craven Sale in mid-April, when knocked down to Anthony Stroud on behalf of Bahraini owners Victorious Forever for 900,000gns.

Senorita Bonita completed a dream result for that auction as she quickened past Libertango, the Albany Stakes winner and joint-fourth dearest from the Craven at 400,000gns. Alwaysanangel, who was a short head in arrears in third, showcased lower-cost opportunity as she was 75,000gns from the Guineas Sale.

Starspangledbanner leapt into the realm of Classic-winning sire with a famous Irish Guineas double from Gstaad and Precise.

Senorita Bonita during her 900,000gns transfer at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale Credit: Alisha Meeder

It means that any talk of Senorita Bonita in next year’s markets can be taken seriously. She is the first foal of an unraced mare by largely overlooked Derby winner Ruler Of The World who is a three-parts sister to Sub Rose, a winner over a mile and a half in the Group 3 Prix de Royaumont and to Astonishing, who peaked over the same trip in a Listed race at Newmarket. That pair have both bred multiple black-type progeny, which augurs well for Senorita Bonita in time.

The afternoon would showcase the present and future envoys of Darley sire Blue Point. He clinched a fourth individual Group or Grade 1 winner when the progressive Blue Bolt secured the Tattersalls Sceptre Sessions-sponsored Falmouth Stakes from Precise.

A €400,000 Juddmonte yearling purchase from Arqana, Blue Bolt is the second Group 1 of the season bred by Brendan and Anne-Marie Hayes following Ten Bob Tony’s surprise effort in the Queen Anne Stakes. 

Blue Point’s juvenile Flann Sunna, a 200,000gns October Book 2 purchase, looks bound for the Gimcrack Stakes after a silky performance in conditions company at Ascot.

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