Bond Looks To Weather The Storm
The figure of Magnificent Storm looms large over Friday night’s 4YO Classic (2130m) at Gloucester Park.
The Ray Williams-trained pacer has looked untroubled in each of his 11 starts in Western Australia, highlighted by his most recent win in the Group 2 4YO Championship.
However, Greg and Skye Bond could have the most important cards to play in this week’s $125,000 feature.
WA Derby winner Patronus Star was retired from the 4YO Championship but bounced back to win the Ray Duffy Memorial on Friday night.
The American Ideal gelding rattled home in 54.7 to score an effortless 4m win and show he may very well be the biggest threat to Magnificent Storm’s unbeaten run extending to an even dozen.
Greg Bond said Patronus Star proved on Friday night he would be a force to be reckoned with over the next fortnight.
“We were happy with him,” he told TABradio.
“We weren’t going to run him last Friday but because he missed that last run the previous Friday we felt we had to give him that run to top him off for the two Group 1s coming up.
“There’s some very good four-year-old’s there and he’s one of them and he will acquit himself well.”
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Howard Hughes, winner of the Pinjarra 4YO Classic on January 4, finished at the tail of the field in the Ray Duffy Memorial after he galloped out of contention on the home turn.
Bond said the son of Bettors Delight was still on track for this week’s Group 1 assignment.
“He just brushed a knee when they accelerated quickly, so I’ll just make a couple of adjustments there and he will be fine,” he said.
“There’s no damage and no harm with him, he will front up and be very competitive.”
Minstrel, who broke in the Pinjarra Classic, returned in impressive fashion in winning Friday’s The West Australian Pace (2130m).
The gelding sat outside stablemate See Ya Write and was too strong over the concluding stages to score by 2.8m.
He’s also set to join Patronus Star and Howard Hughes in the 4YO Classic.
“Ability wise he’s as good as Patronus Star,” Bond said.
“I fully expected him to do what he did on Friday night.
“We made some shoeing adjustments since his last run and his work at home is as good as fast class work.
“We went into that race knowing I was more than happy to sit outside the odds on favourite (Pocket The Cash) if we had to.
“He’s got a serious motor.”
The Bond stable could also have See Ya Write and Parmesan in the final field for the 4YO Classic, which will be released today.
Tim Walker