by Graham Fischer
Part-owner Adam Cormack was despairing he had never won a race at Victor Harbor since moving to the town 10 years ago, but Al Bundy put it right with a brilliant win in the Rob’s Rural Services Victor Harbor Trotters Cup (2660m) on Easter Sunday.
Perfectly driven by Jock Dunlop, Al Bundy ($3 fav) sprinted away from his rivals to score a 13-metre win from Natural ($7) with Gus Or Bust ($10.80), two metres away third.
“I have to say it was an ambition to win a feature race at Victor Harbor, and Al Bundy has done it for us,” Cormack said.
Bred in New Zealand, Al Bundy was purchased early in his career by father Terry, Adam and brother Ben and races for their AB&T Cormack Racing Pty Ltd.
The Cormacks decided to bring the gelding to Australia at the end of last year after he had won eight races for them in New Zealand and was given to stable trainer Greg Norman who manages their harness property outside Two Wells, north of Adelaide.
Al Bundy won his first two starts under Norman’s care before a second at Port Pirie, then a fourth at Mildura where he unfortunately locked wheels with a rival and had to drag it about 100 metres before getting clear.
The trotter was handicapped off 50 metres on Sunday but a good beginning, then a trail from co-back marker Rejuvenation, saw Dunlop able to obtain a one-one trail for much of the race.
With that perfect run, Dunlop was able to let the gelding sprint home coming off the back and Al Bundy trotted away from his rivals to win easily.
“That was a perfect run for him,” Norman said, “there is no doubt he loves a sit-sprint race.
“He has done a great job since coming into my stable. His handicap was just too tough the way the race was run at Pirie, then he had legitimate excuses at Mildura.
“I’ll just keep looking at suitable races for him, maybe we will have to look interstate from time to time, but we will stay local when we can.”
Adam Cormack said he had moved to Victor Harbor about 10 years ago but wasn’t in the town as much as he would like.
“With my job (direct, O’Brien Meats) I do a lot of travelling and we also have a house in Adelaide.
“With a new piggery near Snowtown (in SA’s mid-North), there is even more travelling but I make sure I’m home for the weekends at least – it is a beautiful area.
“We haven’t had a lot of runners here at Victor Harbor but I wanted to win a race, preferably a feature, and Al Bundy has ticked that box today.”
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