Al tips top three finish from Bondi Shake - he just wants them to go a bit faster this time
By Barry Lichter • 11 January 2021
Trainer Al Barnes is confident of a top three finish from Bondi Shake despite his drawing the second line at Albion Park on Tuesday.
Bondi Shake starts from two on the second row in the third race but Barnes is hoping he gets a good run through because he follows out a good gate horse in Kotare Elite.
“There’s a bit of speed out wide with the favourite coming from six but he should settle close to the firing line.
“He’s one of the better ones in the race and I’d be disappointed if he didn’t finish in the top three.”
Likely favourite Scotch En Ice, trained by 79-year-old veteran Vic Frost, has been out of the money only twice in his eight starts but Bondi Shake is also building a very consistent record.
Bondi Shake … two wins and three seconds from six starts in Brisbane. PHOTO: Dan Costello.In six Queensland starts he has racked up two wins, three seconds and a fourth, and is improving all the time, says Barnes.
“I’m really happy with him. He’s proving to be a nice horse, better than I thought when he first arrived. He’s developing more strength.”
Barnes is hoping the tempo of the race on Tuesday is more solid than last time given the three-year-old is coming back from 2138 metres to 1660 metres.
Leader and favourite Moresco was gifted the race last week when he strolled along with quarters of 30.3, 30.2 and 29.7, leaving the race only a sprint home. While Bondi Shake closed well late from the trail, he missed by half a neck.
“When they sprinted at the top of the lane he was a bit green and gangly. Hayden said for the first 50 metres of the straight his legs were going everywhere and he didn’t really put it together until closer to the line.
“If they’d got rolling a bit earlier it would have suited him better. The 27.6 last quarter was just a bit too sharp for him.”
Bondi Shake races at Albion Park at 5.33pm NZ time on Tuesday.
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Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 1: Angelic Copy
4.53pm
“She’s done everything right and trialled really nicely. I think she’s forward enough to give some cheek. She’s only small. You like to think when you get a good two-year-old like her that they’ll get stronger and transition into a nice three-year-old but she hasn’t grown an inch. But she tries hard and enjoys being out there.”
Race 2: Major Copy
5.28pm
“I’m looking forward to seeing him. You never really know ’til you get to the races but he’s trialled well enough to start and I wouldn’t be surprised if he went a good race, despite the draw. He’s a nice sensible colt who’s done nothing wrong and he could develop into a really nice three-year-old.”
Race 6: Lincoln Wave
7.22pm
“He was starting to get into the habit of switching off so we trained him in blinds this week and he went pretty well. He was good from a standing start at the trials with shorteners in and Maurice was actually quite bullish about his standing start manners and thinks that, in time, he’ll end up being a quick beginner. If he steps well, and can land in the first one or two, he’ll definitely be hard to get round.”
Race 6: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.22pm
“He’s not spectacular from a stand but he will get away, albeit sometimes a bit slowly. Lincoln Wave has more speed than him but if it comes down to a slugfest he’d be too strong as he’s rock hard fit.”
Race 8: Prince Lincoln
8.23pm
“The blinds go back on this week and if he steps and leads like he did three starts ago that would make him the one to beat. He showed with that win that he’s above average and will be a serious chance.”
Race 8: Rivergirl Bella
8.23pm
“You could argue she’s a Cambridge horse but sometimes when you throw them in with the bear cats they lift their game and I thought she was really good here last week. Tony (Cameron) said she’d have finished a bit closer too if he hadn’t had to take hold of her close to home (when he ran out of room and hit a marker pole).”
Race 8: Sammy Lincoln
8.23pm
“We’ve got blinds on him this week. Harry said he lost concentration a couple of times last week, including at the top of the straight, and thought he’d be a bit more on to it with blinds on. I still thought his was the run of the race last time - none of the others could have done what he did - and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him score.”
