Quick back-up for Bondi Shake on Friday and Hustler returns in great heart on Saturday

Trainer Al Barnes admits he doesn’t know how Bondi Shake will handle a quick back-up but the field he faces on Friday at Albion Park is way easier than the opposition he met on Tuesday.

And even from the outside of the gate, Barnes fancies the chances of the improving three-year-old in the third race.

“It’s a nice race for him and he’s come through Tuesday’s run as good as gold. We’re still learning about him so I don’t know if he will back up but he appears to be a horse who will.”

Barnes is keen to get Bondi Shake into a regular Friday racing routine rather than sticking to Tuesdays where he has to take on better horses.

“That race on Tuesday was brutal. He was a little weak at the finish but that’s the quickest he’s gone. He hadn’t run that time in front before.”

While Bondi Shake led and was collared soon after turning for home, he was still only five metres from winner Kotare Elite who clocked a mile rate of 1:54.4 for the 1660 metres.

Bondi Shake meets much easier opposition on Friday. PHOTO: Dan Costello.And Barnes says, in hindsight, they should have taken a sit on the favourite Boomchuckalucka, not held the top and forced him to breeze.

“We thought with a good horse outside him he’d keep fighting. But if he’d taken a sit at worst he would have run second. Next time in a race as strong as that we’ll drive him a bit more conservatively.

“He’s drawn seven on Friday but it’s not an overly strong field and he’ll be hard to beat.

“I think he’ll be better once he’s up in distance too. I don’t think he’s a miler - he has more stamina than speed.”

Northview Hustler makes a return to the track on Saturday night after giving last week a miss and Barnes reckons he’s training well enough to run a place.

The little warrior has drawn the inside of the second row in the third race but Barnes doesn’t mind that.

“That’s not a bad thing as he’s still following speed and he should finish top three.

Northview Hustler clocks a career best 1:52.5 mile rate. PHOTO: Dan Costello.“If he trails Watch Pulp Fiction, he wins, but it’s more likely he’ll be three fence, in which case he can run second.

“It will be hard to make up two lengths on Turn It Up in the straight but he’s worked really well this week.”

Barnes says the Hustler has really responded to more maintenance work on his joints.

“We know he jarred up at his last start because he didn’t run on.”

Northview Hustler ran only sixth behind Major Cam on January 9 but had that horse well covered the previous week, clocking a career best 1:52.5 mile rate.

Bondi Shake races at 4.03pm NZ time at Albion Park on Friday.Northview Hustler races at 9.35pm NZ time at Albion Park on Saturday night.