By Jonny Turner
The path to the Group 3 Dark Horse Trot starts at Gore on Thursday for Del’s Creation.
The towering trotter is back in action from a well-earned freshen-up in Race 5, the Udy’s Grain and Feed Limited/ Regional Ford Gore Handicap Trot (3.19pm), after making giant strides in the autumn and winter for trainer Lyndon Bond.
Bond is hoping Del’s Creation can make even more progress as her first attempt in Group race company approaches. The inaugural running of The Dark Horse will be run at Ascot Park in Invercargill on Sunday, October 20.
“We know there will be some nice horses there and we hope she can measure up with him.”
“She’s starting at Gore on Thursday, it is a fresh up run for her, she has to start somewhere and she will take good benefit from it.”
“But I have been happy with her.”
Bond starts a three-horse team at the Gore meeting, with The Wulver looking a strong winning threat in Race 6.
While the trainer is hopeful he can pick up a cheque in the race he sponsors – the Bond Racing / Stratford Racing Stables Mobile Pace – he has one query over The Wulver. And it’s his barrier 1 draw.
“He hasn’t shown great gate speed and there are a couple in there that have.”
“With his early speed and the sprint trip, I thought Sagwitch might be hard to beat.”
“Even Mataura B B drawn beside us gets out pretty good.”
“So that is the question, whether we might be in the trail or three-deep.”
“If he ends up three-deep, he should get a good enough run.”
“He hasn’t been going bad at all, he could get a bit of money from there.”
Bond also starts Step It Up A Notch in race 9, the Kubala Seeds Mobile pace. He would be a serious winning threat with his best effort but the pacer comes into the event on the back of a disappointing effort at Winton.
“I thought he would go well last start, but I thought he should have stuck on a bit better.”
“He is a strange horse at times, but his work has been good.”
“Ollie (Kite) is on him again and he will have to make his own luck from the wide draw.”
“He will have to come up with a bit of a plan.”
As well as lining up his own team, Bond is also the caretaker trainer of several runners at Gore.
They include two strong winning hopes in Shezza Vinny and Remission.
