By Jonny Turner
Formlines will collide when harness racing resumes in the southern region at Winton on Thursday.
A break of almost six weeks without racing will end when a seven-race card gets underway at Central Southland Raceway.
The programme features clashes between horses coming in fresh after last racing in June, those coming back from longer spells and horses who bring race fitness after competing at Addington lately.
The Lyndon Bond trained Step It Up A Notch is among those who have the benefit of recent racing.
And in his last start second placing, the four-year-old showed he’s developing his game.
“I was rapt with his run at Addington, we drove him cold without doing any work and he is relaxing now to be able to do that,” Bond said.
“He is getting his confidence back running home like that.”
“He had a workout the other day and they didn’t run much time, but they got home fast enough and he was hitting the line without being asked for too much.”
Punters may not see Step It Up A Notch’s sitting too far off the leaders on Thursday given he has drawn barrier two over a mile.
As well placed as his horse looks, Bond has full respect for his opposition.
“He looks a good chance from the draw, but it is quite a handy field.”
The Bond stable starts both Andover The Keys and Contessa’s Pride in race 1 on Thursday.
Bond thinks Andover Keys is a hope of regaining her form when taking on a field mostly made up of maidens.
“She is my smokey for the day out of my team, she has got the ability to do it racing the maidens.”
“She seems well and if she does everything right she could upset them.”
Bond thinks Contessa’s Pride’s chances will come down to her manners.
“She has got to trot, but she has got ability there.”
“She had to trial last week to get her ticket to start and she did everything right.”
“She gets a bee in her bonnet at times, so it will depend if her mind is on the job.”
Swift Dream is another of Bond’s team who has raced at Addington recently.
The trotter was luckless in that run but hit the line strongly.
“He got home real good at the workouts too, we didn’t want to do too much but he hit the line nice.”
“I know how much ability he has got.”
“Nathan (Williamson) didn’t want to get off him to go anywhere else.”
“It is a nice field but he is good enough to be amongst it.”
Early fixed odds prices for the Bond team: Step It Up A Notch $4.50, Contessa’s Pride $7.50, Andover The Keys $7.50, Swift Dream $10.
