Bondi Shake rattles home and rolls Redcliffe field for deserved and overdue win
By Barry Lichter • 28 July 2021
Bondi Shake broke a five month drought when he powered home from well back in the field to score at Redcliffe tonight.
Confidently tipped pre-race by trainer Al Barnes, because he was against a mediocre field, Bondi Shake was backed in from $5.50 to $3 but looked to have the job ahead of him when driver Hayden Barnes was forced to go back to the rear from a wide draw.
The three-year-old, narrowly beaten at his last start, was still back, three wide with cover, coming to the home turn when Barnes switched out four wide, giving the leaders a big start.
But Bondi Shake ran right up to Al Barnes’ rap, mounting a big sprint and reeling in his rivals to beat the favourite Rainbow Jet by 1.5 metres, going away.
While the horse had 14 misses beside his name since his last win in February, Barnes said the horse had endured a shocking run of bad luck since returning from a spell.
“He’s been racing well for some time now with no luck and he was just too good for that field tonight.”
The win, Bondi Shake’s fourth in 38 starts, was cut out in a 2:00 mile rate, with closing sectionals of 58.6 and 29.8.
A son of the ill-fated Somebeachsomewhere, he is raced by a big team comprising Lincoln Farms owners John and Lynne Street, Auckland Trotting Club steward Pat Gubb, Bob Best, Merle Gradwell, Lance Myocevich, Steve Beckett, Kevin Bell, the Joeraeme Syndicate, Margaret Rabbitt and the Athenry Syndicate.
His form earlier in the year was shipwrecked by a nasty foot abscess but Barnes hopes he will now start to build a consistent record.
Bondi Shake, second from left, comes four wide round the turn before unleashing a big sprint.
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Our runners this week
Friday night at Auckland
Johnny Lincoln, Tyson, Leo Lincoln, Kevin Kline.
Our runners this week: How our trainer rates them
Ray’s comments
Thursday night at Cambridge
Race 2: The Rascal
6.05pm
“He’s training very well and has had two workouts. He’s improving all the time and it wouldn’t surprise me if he was in the fray first-up.”
Race 3: Lincoln La Moose
6.30pm
“He’ll go better left-handed and it’s a weaker race than Auckland, of course. He’s gone good races in much better company and, with a reasonable trip from six, he should be quite competitive.”
Race 5: Dreams Of Eric
7.20pm
“I expect him to be in it from the inside draw. You can’t fault what he’s done recently and he could easily win.”
Race 5: Im Not The Maid
7.20pm
“She was well driven in the amateurs’ race last time (by John Kriechbaumer). That’s the type of drive she needs. She’s shown she can’t burn the candle at both ends.”
