Racing: Bondy bowls his rivals in final over

David Butt has a look for any challengers as Bondy cruises to the line to win the Hunter Cup. Photo / Herald Sun

North Canterbury horseman David Butt never gave up on Bondy.

Not when he was so weak he got thrashed in a lowly class one race at Reefton as a 4-year-old.

Not two years ago when he broke a pedal bone that put him in the harness racing wilderness for over a year.

And especially not last November when a mystery illness saw him pulled out of the New Zealand Cup on the eve of the race.

Those setbacks, especially the latest, could have been enough for Butt, who trains at Woodend Beach with his wife Catherine, to set his sights lower with Bondy, a horse who had beaten the best but never in the best races.

Maybe it would have been smart to aim for Invercargill and Southland Cups, rather than spending big money to chase an Australian dream.

Yet Butt believed in his stable star enough to know that he deserved one more shot at the really big time, one more chance to become the horse he had always promised to be.

That moment came in Saturday night's A$400,000 Hunter Cup at Moonee Valley, when the pacer led throughout to land a huge betting plunge in the final feature harness race ever at Moonee Valley.

His standing start manners and a pair of lungs hardened by a summer of beach training allowed him to fend off some mid-race pressure before kicking clear to beat Karloo Mick for the biggest win of Butt's career.

Butt still has no idea what forced Bondy out of the New Zealand Cup in November and doesn't really care now.

"It was one of those things that happens but we didn't panic.

"He had won some money early in the season so he had paid for a campaign over here and this race was always his major aim.

"And Cath pulled off the most important thing this week when she drew his barrier. Being off the front and able to use his standing start manners won him the race."

Butt is used to playing the patient game with Bondy, not that he had much choice.

"Even right back when he started racing he was a weak, skinny thing so we had to give him plenty of time.

"But we always knew he had it in him to be a good horse and even though he is eight he is lightly-raced."

Bondy's win continued a wonderful resurgence for New Zealand pacers on the Grand Circuit this season.

With Monkey King having won the Miracle Mile and Bettor's Strike the Victoria Cup, the Kiwis are on their greatest roll in Australia in a decade which may continue in the Interdominions, which start in 11 days.

Bondy will be joined there by Monkey King, who won at Addington on Saturday, Changeover who won at Alexandra Park on Friday, defending champion Mr Feelgood and a support cast of Pembrook Benny and Our Awesome Armbro, among others.

Butt says while the Hunter Cup was Bondy's big aim, the Interdominions are not out of his reach.

"Okay, he loses the advantage of his standing-start manners but he is also good from a mobile start and he is in career best form."

Flying Kiwis:

* Bondy and Courage To Rule score huge wins on the final night of harness racing at Moonee Valley.

* Bondy leads throughout in the A$400,000 Hunter Cup.

* Courage To Rule heads home a Kiwi quinella in the A$200,000 Victoria Derby.