Harness racing co-trainers Greg and Skye Bond were delighted with Phoenix Warrior’s fast-finishing effort when fourth behind Bettors Fire in the August Cup last Friday night and they plan to nominate him for the $1.8 million TABtouch inter dominion championship series at Gloucester Park in November and December.
The Bonds, who also own Phoenix Warrior, are experiencing a purple patch and have finished the 2015-16 season as the leaders in the Statewide trainers’ premiership.
At Gloucester Park last Friday night they prepared five winners — Assassinator, Pay Me Cullen, Ima Connoisseur, Risk and Messi — and they landed a treble with Shes Artful, Mister Daytona and Ohoka Assassin at Gloucester Park on Tuesday night.
Phoenix Warrior raced in tenth position before he flooded home, out six and seven wide, to finish fourth in the 2536m August Cup. A fortnight earlier the Jereme's Jet gelding started from 30m and raced without cover for almost three laps when a fighting fourth behind Our Jericho in the 3309m Marathon Handicap.
The versatile New Zealand-bred gelding will start from the outside (No. 9) on the front line in the $23,000 Sully’s Painting New Season Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night and will be driven by Ryan Warwick, resuming after serving a term of suspension.
He has the ability to overcome this disadvantage and beat the out-of-form Thats Rite, who looks likely to set the pace from the coveted No. 1 barrier for Clint Hall, and the Ross Olivieri-trained pair Im A Peregrine and Our Blackbird.
Thats Rite is an M1-class performer and the lowest-assessed runner in the field of 12. He has been unplaced at his past seven starts, including five runs in his current preparation. But he is a noted frontrunner, who has started from the No. 1 barrier three times in Western Australia for three all-the-way wins over 2130m at Gloucester Park, rating 1.56.8, 1.54.1 and 1.56.1. He started from the No. 1 barrier twice over 2190m at Mildura in February 2014 for two all-the-way wins.
The Bond stable will also be represented in Friday night’s race by Change Stride, who will be driven by Ryan Bell, fresh from a treble at Gloucester Park on Tuesday night and a treble last Friday night.
Change Stride has been unplaced at his three starts since resuming from a spell and is awkwardly drawn at barrier seven. He won 12 times from 29 starts last season and cannot be underestimated.
Im A Peregrine, drawn at barrier six and to be handled by Chris Voak, has a losing sequence of 14. But his recent efforts have been encouraging — a fast-finishing third behind Billies A Star and a strong-finishing head second to Ideal Justice.
Ken Casellas