10 January 2024 | Tim Walker
Trainer Greg Bond is set to keep Minstrel in work right up until April’s TABtouch-Nullarbor (2536m) and Retravision-Fremantle Cup (2936m), following his recent run of good form.
The seven-year-old scored his third straight win in last Friday’s Free-For-All at Gloucester Park, beating fellow Nullarbor contender Lavra Joe in the process.
Despite winning comfortably, it wasn’t easy for Minstrel, who galloped in the early stages of the race in a battle with Lavra Joe for the lead.
The gelding trialled satisfactorily at Byford on Sunday morning.
After winning the Fremantle Cup and Lord Mayor’s Cup in early 2022, Minstrel had to wait more than a year for his next victory and saw the Bond stable select Steel The Show to run in their Nullarbor slot.
The seven-year-old returned to somewhere near his Fremantle Cup-winning best at the end of 2023, highlighted by a game third in the WA Pacing Cup.
Bond said it was reassuring to have his stable star back near his best and indicated he would keep him racing while he was in form.
“He’s been a bit of a funny one because he did have feet issues,” Bond told The Trots WA.
“It wasn’t anything major but collectively it did slow him down a bit.
“There was a question mark over him.
“He’s always been an on-pace runner and he doesn’t like to come wide at Gloucester Park.
“He’s shown that form is temporary and ability is permanent.
“I’m a little bit loath to tip him out in this form, but we might tick him over at home for a few weeks.”
Minstrel is one of several pacers in line for Team Bond’s Nullarbor slot this year, alongside Steel The Show, Ideal Agent and Tenzing Bromac.
Bond said if Minstrel maintained his current level of form he would likely be the leading candidate for their slot in 2024.
“He’s definitely back near his best now,” he said.
“That’s not only how he’s racing but also the times he’s running.
“As we speak, if he’s racing in this form in three months you would have to think he’s our number one seed.
“We obviously had Steel The Show run fourth last year and he was held up in the run.
“I’m sure Tenzing Bromac is up to the mark and I don’t think Ideal Agent is not out of the equation either.”
“It’s nice not to rely on one horse.”
Ideal Agent, who last raced at the end of 2022, trialled at Pinjarra on December 28 and Bond said he would be “pretty forward” when he makes his return.
As well as welcoming back the stable’s open class horses, the Bond team have also recently had some of their talented three-year-olds Ten To The Dozen, The Little Master and Vegas Strip are set to race at the end of the month.
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