By Jonny Turner
Two out of three ain’t bad according to the late singer Meat Loaf, as well as the man known as Bondy in harness racing circles.
Lyndon ‘Bondy’ Bond took three horses to Winton yesterday and produced a race-to-race winning double with Fast Whispering and Step It Up A Notch.
Bond was one of three trainers to double up on an 11 race card with Kirstin Barclay and Amber Hoffman also producing two wins each.
In Bond’s case, the trainer quickly turned around disappointing performances by his two winners in their last starts following strong runs of form.
Fast Whispering has been a revelation since joining the Mataura trainer’s stable in December.
But her brilliantly consistent run of form halted when she stood on the mark in her last outing at Wyndham, taking no part.
Before her win in race 6, Fast Whispering was in a mood suggesting she could do something similar, but driver Sarah O’Reilly managed to keep the mare’s mind on the job at hand.
“She has got a bit grumpy in her last few starts and she was going to play merry hell today,” Bond said.
“But she behaved herself.”
“She has done a great job, I have one more start for her in mind at Addington in a fortnight.”
“She can go for a spell after that.”
In thirteen starts for Bond, Fast Whispering has finished in the first four placings 11 times.
The trainer puts the mare’s consistent form down to her enjoying his regime of strong work.
“She has been doing a lot of work on the grass, I am a distance person.”
“I have given her plenty of work over a lot of distance, just grinding away, and she has improved and improved.”
“I like the old mare.”
Fast Whispering is raced by her former trainer Noel Taylor along with Karina Bennett, both of Timaru.
Bond said it was Matthew Williamson who recommended Taylor send him the mare so that she could race week to week in Southland with having to travel extensively.
Williamson produced the runner up and third placegetter behind Fast Whispering in Minnie McGoogan and Jordan Anne.
There was plenty of banter between the pair when Bond’s trotter held out Williamson’s duo.
Bond also quickly turned around the fortunes of Step It Up A Notch who ran to victory in race 7 for driver Craig Ferguson.
The three-year-old over-raced fiercely in his last start at Wyndham dropping out before the home turn.
Though he was still keen in the running yesterday, the pacer produced a much more professional performance when zipping along the passing lane to win.
Step It Up A Notch did break late in his victory which was thought to be the result of him having trouble with a shoe that came loose during the race.
Bond will now take a patient approach with the pacer, opting for what is best long-term rather than taking on the Southern Supremacy Stakes series.
“He is from a good family and I like him, but he has just got to settle down.”
“He would be good at somewhere like Menangle where they roll along all the way.”
“That will be him now, I would like to carry on to the three-year-old goes but I think a bit of time out in the paddock will do him the world of good.”
Bond’s winning double took him to seven wins from just 32 starts this year.
