Minstrel bounces back

Minstrel returned to Western Australia in winning fashion after taking out the sixth harness racing event at Pinjarra yesterday.

Trained by Greg and Skye Bond and driven by Ryan Warwick, the talented New Zealand bred gelding started as the $1.12 favourite and was too good for his rivals when skipping away for 7.8m victory. Watch the replay here.

After taking out the Group 1 Golden Nugget in February this year, Team Bond made the decision to head east with the well performed four-year-old to contest the Chariots of Fire at Menangle.

After finishing ninth in the Group One, Minstrel returned to WA where connections gave him a short let up, returning to the races yesterday and the winners’ circle in 1:56:4.

“We brought him home and he went for a spell. He had done enough, he had a decent campaign in to the nugget and trekking east and back, he’s only a four-year-old,” Skye Bond said.

“We were really happy with his run (in the Chariots of Fire), he broke 1:50:0 himself and was only beaten 11m, so we thought for his first go at that mile distance at Menangle, he definitely didn’t disgrace himself.”

With a big future ahead of him, Skye Bond mentioned that they will be taking each week as it comes for the lightly-raced gelding.

Yesterday’s win took the gelding’s stakes to $216,287 from 19 starts for nine wins and six placings.

“He will just work his way through the Friday night grades at this stage and we’re hoping he really measures up to a Pacing Cup and Fremantle Cup type horse.”

The stable has several impressive horses in their stable and after speaking with Skye Bond, heading east with a team of horses for the major races isn’t off the cards.

“We’ve got a couple of nice ones there like Dont Bother Me None that we are contemplating going to Victoria for the Derby with,” she said.

“So, if we end up doing a trip east, there’s every likelihood that we will throw him (Minstrel) on as well. Even a Victoria Cup when and if he tells us he’s ready for it.”

Team Bond celebrated a training double on the card, with Maccas NZ starting first up in the state since migrating from New Zealand.

Having his third start in a race, the three-year-old saluted for his first career victory with a mile rate of 1:56:9 over the sprint journey.

by Ashleigh Paikos from RWWA