After five years, Oscar Bonavena may have finally got his timing right. We will find out at 9.45pm tomorrow at Melton when they run the $250,000 Yabby Dam Farms Great Southern Star final. Or we might even find out at 6.30pm when they run Oscar’s heat of the Great Southern Star.
But as unique as it is, the Great Southern Star more often than not is still won by the best trotter. Oscar, as he is affectionately known, may be the best trotter. He was a juvenile star in New Zealand, but it took him seven seasons, right up until his latest start at Cambridge, to become trotting’s latest millionaire.
One of the reasons was Oscar’s little body kept betraying him. But unlike most of us, Oscar has gotten better as he has gotten older, and you will see the best of him this Saturday night.
“He has never been sounder and he is racing at his peak,” says Purdon, the legend who is not doing a very good job of being semi-retired.
Being healthy helps, but racing is so often about timing and Oscar’s has been dreadful. He was last at Melton five years ago to take on local hero Tornado Valley.
In between, Oscar has spent time chasing around Sundees Son and Muscle Mountain back home before Victorian all-timer Just Believe turned up in NZ and started dealing out trotting lessons.
Tomorrow night, the timing may be right. Finally. Just Believe is retired, defending GSS champ Callmethebreeze is not here and the other Kiwis weren’t good enough to come.
