Bondi Shake’s foot looks ugly but he’s completely recovered from a nasty infection.
Shake will rattle and roll from awful draw on Tuesday and hope for some overdue luck
By Barry Lichter • 31 May 2021
He might have an ugly looking hoof but that won’t stop Bondi Shake from hot footing it out of the gate at Albion Park on Tuesday night.
Lincoln Farms’ three-year-old hasn’t stopped improving since he recovered from a foot infection and has gone to the line untested in this last two starts, unable to find a gap.
At Albion Park last Tuesday, he became trapped in the one-one and only needed some luck in the run home to reward his followers at odds of $51.
“He’s busting to win a race,” says trainer Al Barnes. “It’s just a shame he’s got such a horrible draw on Tuesday.”
Bondi Shake (3) is snookered right in behind the leaders after being unable to get clear in the run home when full of running.Drawn the outside of the arm, Barnes says Bondi Shake will be out of the race over only a mile if he goes back so you can expect his son Hayden to chance his arm at the start.
“We’ll just go out hard and see where we end up. He just needs an ounce of luck to be competitive.”
Barnes had to cut a massive chunk of Bondi Shake’s foot away, all dead and rotten from the infection which stopped him in March.
“His foot’s not pretty but I had to clean it all up and ended up cutting about a quarter of it away.
“But it shouldn’t worry him while it grows back, it’s not raw, it’s just like cutting back a long fingernail.”
Barnes says Bondi Shake is working well and feeling good and is starting to develop into a nice horse.
“He’s showing a lot more strength - after being used up early he’s still getting home well.
“He can run a high 26 out of the gate - he’s learning how to use his gate speed - and he’s in a field that he could beat if he’d drawn better.
“It’s a similar quality field to last time but the New Zealand import Hemsworth looks like he could be good.”
Hemsworth, a last start winner at Gore in March for trainer Kirk Larsen, won a 1660 metre trial at Albion Park on May 18 in a mile rate of 1:55.8.
But drawn the inside of the second row on Tuesday he too will need some luck.
Bondi Shake races at 5.12pm NZ time at Albion Park on Tuesday.
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Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 4: Tyson
6.59pm
“He was tough again in winning last week. He’s trained on well, is in good shape, and should be right in it.”
Race 4: Sugar Ray Lincoln
6.59pm
“He’s finally getting his act together - he’s gone three good races in a row - and seemingly turned the corner. We’ve had a lot of (vet) work done on him, his feet in particular, and it’s paid off. There’s not much between him and Tyson.”
Race 5: Rivergirl Bella
7.23pm
“She’ll need everything to go her way from the draw. But she’s got a bit of speed. She’s getting there. She wasn’t very strong before and wasn’t tracking too well, but she’s driving right now.”
Race 5: Lincoln Linda
7.23pm
“She’s had a few issues, mostly mental ones, and is still a bit of a handful. It wasn’t very pretty last week but we’re slowly getting her under control. The outside draw might actually help her.”
Race 5: Angelic Copy
7.23pm
“She needs only a half decent trip to feature. She got held up a little bit in the straight at a crucial time last week and that was that.”
Race 6: Prince Lincoln
7.49pm
“He’s drawn the best of ours in three. He got cheated for a run last week. It’s hard to know where he’d have finished without that.”
Race 6: Lincoln Lover
7.49pm
“Ferg reckoned if he’d been able to hold up in the trail last week he would have won. He was very bullish about how he’d gone. The draw’s no help but he can do a bit of work. He’s an honest little guy who saves his best for when the money’s up on racenight.”
Race 6: Johnny Lincoln
7.49pm
“He got a bit keen last week but he should be a lot better this time. He’s still learning and he’s a slow learner. When he does things correctly he’s a pretty nice horse. Hopefully he can get a suck into it from the second row draw.”
