Ferguson on his first Group One starter

Smokin Bandar (Monkey Bones) will provide twenty nine year old Wyndham harness racing trainer Craig Ferguson with his first Group One starter on Friday when he lines up in the Renwick Farms Dominion Handicap.

In just his seventh year of training, Ferguson’s scorecard is impressive with his UDR this season at .5185.

However, he’s never driven in the Dominion before, and his only Group One drive was on Robyns Playboy in the 2020 New Zealand Cup. 

“I’m pretty relaxed so far. I’m not sure how I’ll be closer to the time. It’s just about doing the same thing we always do with the horse, not getting carried away and doing anything silly,” Ferguson said.

Smokin Bandar has strung together a very good record this season and has an impressive strike rate at Addington. But things didn’t go quite that well last time at Kaikoura where he broke near the 1500 metres.

“He just didn’t handle that bend. He was trotting really nice up until then. It was my first drive there and everyone said that bend can catch them out a bit,” Ferguson said.

Ferguson said the horse didn’t handle the bend the second time round either.

“But the rest of the way his action was good. He was nice and smooth.”

Ferguson is not worried about Smokin Bandar handling the bigger Addington track or the 3200 metre Dominion distance.

“He gets round Addington good, and his record is pretty impressive. The distance will be okay. He follows speed well so I can’t see the distance being a problem either.”

He says between now and Dominion Smokin Bandar will stick to his usual training pattern.

“He’ll be mostly in the pool. He’ll have a couple of quiet runs on the track to make sure he’s trotting well especially after having a gallop at Kaikoura. He won’t do too much, he never really does.”

A Southland trained horse hasn’t won the Dominion In recent times. Jaccka Justy, Springbank Richard, Cedar Fella, David Moss and Tobago were all owned and developed in the region but headed outside the province to be trained at various stages of their careers.

Nathan Williamson was the last Southland based driver to win the Dominion, driving Springbank Richard in 2009. The late Henry Skinner drove Tobago to win in 1989.

Smokin Bandar is lightly raced for a trotter, having started only twenty seven times. Five of his nine wins have been at Addington. Owned by Tom and Julie Kilkelly, Heather Brown and Shea McKenzie, the horse derives his name from his dam Fiery Filly (Smokin) and Bandar which is Hindi for Monkey.

Let’s hope Southland can get the Dominion ‘monkey’ off it’s back and the grey Bandar can win the 2022 edition.

For complete race entries, click here.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink