Tough assignment for Bondi Shake on Tuesday and Larry’s going to need luck too

If you pegged Bondi Shake as a next-up winner after his unlucky run at Albion Park last week, trainer Al Barnes warns he has tough opposition on Tuesday evening and will be doing well to even run a place.

Bondi Shake did well to be beaten only a head by Kotare Elite on January 12 after being nearly skittled early in the home straight in a concertina melee that saw winning driver John Stariha suspended for 21 days.

Bondi Shake was four wide and running right into the race when driver Hayden Barnes saw the two horses inside him hook up and he swerved out to avoid the trouble, resulting in the horse losing valuable momentum.

A protest by the connections of the fifth-placed Sunny Rice, who was badly checked, failed because it couldn’t be proved that she would have beaten the winner without the interference.

Bondi Shake, arrowed, swerves sideways as the two horses inside him cop interference from the leader and hook up.And Al Barnes says it was pointless protesting himself.

“Bondi Shake would have to have been knocked down to win a protest. Hayden actually had enough room to miss it but he over-reacted to the situation and checked off them - which I don’t blame him for doing.

“Hayden said the two who hooked up actually did him a favour as he wasn’t going to get past the horse inside him before it. We got a spurt on and kicked on strongly but we were never going to beat the winner.”

Barnes says Tuesday evening’s race looks to be the toughest Bondi Shake has faced since arriving in Brisbane, with the likely favourite Boomchuckalucka drawn wide.

“He looks like a really nice horse and will run a 54 - 55 half. We ran second to him in his first-up run here but didn’t make up any ground. And even though we’re a bit more seasoned now and have improved a lot, it will still be hard for him.

“It’s a very good race, the hardest he’s tackled, and if he can run a place he’ll be doing well. I’m really interested to see how he goes because he’s improving all the time and hopefully he can step up again.”

Barnes says you have to forgive Larry Lincoln for running last at his latest start but from gate six he, too, will need a lot of luck to feature in the seventh race.

Larry Lincoln blotted his form line badly on January 5 when he sat in the one-one then pulled out three wide at the 400 and went nowhere, finishing last of eight.

“Larry got away on us a bit over Christmas,” Barnes said.

“We had a few very hot days and were a bit casual with him - we thought he might need a break - and he put on a few kilos.

“We’ve worked him a bit stronger since and he’ll turn the corner. He’s up them but from the draw he’ll get back.

“We’ll drive him for luck. If the pace is on, he’ll run on. If they walk and sprint, it will make it tough.”