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FEATURE RACE COMMENT

 

YEAR: 2002

2002 PGG NZ YEARLING SALES 3YO TROT

Auckland pie man Roger Bond has an appetite for winning big races at Addington. His first big one was the Pyne Gould Guinness NZ Yearling Sales 3-year-old Trot last Friday night with Tony H, and he hopes there will be a repeat of it in the $50,000 Trotting Derby this week.
There is no certainty of that because Sundon's Luck is the fresh face in the ranks and a shiney one at that. He gave Tony H a serious test, and only failed by a neck.

Tony H had not raced since Ashburton earlier last month, and indeed, had not been off the place for a trials of workout tightener. So trainer Tremain Thorby pretty much expected something as close as this. He will certainly be a lot sharper for Sundon's Luck this week, and Bond and his partner Shirley will again make the trip from Auckland to watch him perform.

Bond settled in New Zealand from Sheffield 32 years ago, when he was 13. After being in Timaru for a start he moved to Christchurch where he became the manager of a rental car firm. His early visits to the races were mainly social, and enjoying the pleasure of watching two greats, Noodlum at Addington, and the galloper Grey Way at Riccarton.

On shifting to Auckland, he was introduced to Colin Kennedy, whose wife Karen is Shirley's cousin. This is when the horse thing started to get serious. The Kennedys suggested that Bond share the ownership in a couple of horses they had starting up, Lord Graceland and Shardon's Star. "It has been great. We have had a huge amount of fun," he said. Bond also had a share in the club syndicate that raced Matai Mackenzie, Parisian Falcon and Moschino.

Two years ago, they stepped up a cog. Deciding that there were opportunities going begging in the Sales Series for trotters - "there was a lot of money available and the prices for trotters were less than half what you had to pay for a pacer," said Bond - they combined with Kennedy and radio host Peter Earley to impliment the plan. "We had wanted to get five," he said, "but finished up with three."

They bought William Edward, Crystal Bella, who has since been sold, and a Sundon colt from a Chiola Hanover mare - the same cross as Sundon's Luck - for $6500. This was Tony H, who is unbeaten in his last four starts, and has won over $60,000. "He has been a natural," said Bond. "He has matured a lot and become a lot more settled and Tremain is a good trainer and very thorough.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 27Mar02

 

YEAR: 2001

2001 NRM SIRES' STAKES 2YO TROTTERS CHAMPIONSHIP

Tony H scooted home along the passing lane to down hotpot Jo Anne and win the $20,000 NRM Sires' Stakes 2yo Trotters Championship. Not only did Tony H give Jo Anne her second taste of defeat, he also wiped a second and a half off her older brother Dependable's national record by trotting the 1950m mobile journey in a quick 2:27.1

The whole race had an eerie deja vu feel to it, because just four weeks earlier the blue and white silks of Balle and his training partner Ian Small were seen coming from exactly the same position when Sunease flew home to grab Castleton's Mission in the shadows of the post. He too was considered by most to be 'a certainty' that night.

"You had to respect Jo Anne, but I never considered her to be a past-the-post," driver Mark Jones said afterwards. "Tony H broke early the week before, but he did trot home nicely after that and I always thought we would be a show if we led early and trailed. This horse has got a lovely attitude," he said.

Credit: John Robinson writing in HRWeekly 09May01

 

YEAR: 2001

Keith Gibson presents the trophy
2001 ROYDON LODGE STUD NZ 2YO TROTTING STAKES

Jo Anne was swift and sure-footed and greatly superior to 11 others in the Roydon Lodge Stud NZ 2yo Trotting Stakes. She was trotting poetry from start to finish and won by half a length short of ten in 2:29.1 for the mobile 1950m.

Northerner Tony H who surprisingly defeated her a fortnight earlier by half a length was never a factor this time after taking too long to start trotting.

Driver Ken Barron was glowing in his praise. "Initially, I compared her with Gees Pride, but she is really a step above that. She has a beautiful gait and has got speed, too. I have not driven one as good at this age before," he said.

Jo Anne is trained at Templeton by Mark Smolenski for Allan, Lorraine and Anya Georgeson. She is by Sundon from Janetta's Pride, a Gee Whiz II mare owned by Keith and Bevan Grice and more recently the dam of a yearling filly by Britewell, a weanling filly by Sundon, and she was served by Sundon last season.

Credit: Harness Racing Weekly 23May01



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