ID10 News
Bondy Impresses
19 February 2010
Hunter Cup winner Bondy led throughout to take out the last of four heats on the opening night of the Watpac Inter Dominion at Harold Park tonight.
Speeding out of gate two, trainer-driver David Butt wasn’t given a moment’s peace in front as the pressure was applied from the start.
Firstly, Western Cam found the spot outside him before giving the spot away almost immediately to Washakie.
With comeback pacer Baileys Dream moving three-wide, some may have thought that he would find the ‘death’ seat, however, John McCarthy on Washakie had other ideas.
The trio raced in a line of three for much of the final two laps.
Bondy, going through the quarters in 29.6, 30.1, 30.0 and 28.2, kicked strongly in the straight to score by two metres over a gallant Washakie, with Baileys Dream producing a Herculean effort to finish third, a head away.
The mile rate was 1:57.6 – the fastest of the four heats on the opening night of competition.
“He did well tonight and although there was pressure from the outset, he was quite strong in the end,” Butt said.
Victorian mare Pacific Charm snatched fourth with fellow southerner Prince Benji finishing fifth. Bohemia Crystal FFA winner Western Cam didn’t have a clear run in the finish and was just behind the first five horses.
