Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
By Adam Hamilton, HRNZ
A trip across the ditch for The Race By Grins is a possibility for rejuvenated Aussie pacing star Bondi Lockdown.
Owner Aaron Dunn and Team McCarthy will decide this week where to go with the five-year-old, who gunned-down Kiwi raider and leader B D Joe to win last night’s $100,000 Light Horse free-for-all (2400m), which was effectively a Miracle Mile consolation.
Bondi Lockdown worked to the front then took a sit on B D Joe soon after before getting an inside run late and winning by two metres in a slick 1min53.8sec mile.
B D Joe ran a fantastic race in front, but simply no match late for Bondi Lockdown off his soft trail, while Jess Tubbs’ pair Triple Eight and Better Eclipse were third and fourth.
Dunn sent Bondi Lockdown to Team McCarthy after the pacer had a small bleed before the Victoria Cup last October.
“We set him for the Miracle Mile and it was disappointing he didn’t get a run. I think he deserved it,” Luke McCarthy said.
“If he’d have been in it, I think he’d have gone close to winning it.
“But we had to settle for this one and hopefully it’s just the start of things.
“We just want to get through the (yearling) sales up here and then sit down and work out what to do and where to go.
“NZ is definitely an option. He’s on the way up.
“We would also think about NZ with Expensive Ego.”
Better Eclipse, who sat one-one and ran a fair fourth, is already locked-in for the Race By Grins at Cambridge on April 14.
Jason Grimson’s pair I Cast No Shadow (fifth) and Major Meister (sixth) must also be in consideration for slot holders.
Maybe Grimson’s exciting recent Kiwi import Betterzippit could be another “Race" runner.
The five-year-old made it four wins from just five Aussie starts with Grimson when he won the opening race at Menangle last night.
