Racing: Butt keen for Bondy to take control in cup

Finding the lead has always been the key to Bondy's career but it will never be more crucial than in tomorrow night's $500,000 Auckland Trotting Cup.

Trainer-driver David Butt said the start could well decide Bondy's chances, but not for the usual reason that he is such a natural front runner.

This time the race for the early lead and the comfort of tracking the marker pegs may be much more important.

The fact Bondy is making his Alexandra Park debut tomorrow night is no coincidence, because Butt believes the veteran pacer is not at his best racing right-handed.

"That is one of the reasons we have never been up here before," said Butt.

"But he is racing so well and we were coming through Auckland on our way home from Sydney so it makes sense to start.

"And then he drew well and it is a great stake so we really had no choice."

Yet Butt said because tomorrow's race came so hard on the back of the Interdominion Final in Sydney on Sunday it had given him no time to set Bondy up for right-handed racing.

"He runs out a bit left-handed but hasn't done a lot of work right-handed and when he has he tended to run in," said Butt.

"Usually in a situation like this you would work them a lot more right-handed and get them geared up to handle it but having been in Australia we haven't had that chance.

"So we will do our best but that is why getting to the front early will be crucial.

"When you have a horse like him racing on a track which might not be ideal for him being against the markers is a huge deal.

"They almost always handle tracks better following the markers around than they do if they have to come wide."

After showing blazing gate speed in all three starts at the Interdominions, Bondy should have the early acceleration to cross those inside him, with Monkey King, who also raced so wonderfully at the Inters, maybe his greatest early threat.

But in a race that could lack intense mid-race pressure, if Bondy can lead and control the race he may be good enough to steal it, even if he is not totally at home at Alexandra Park.

He has been a revelation this season, completing his comeback from a career-threatening injury with outstanding wins in the Hunter Cup and two heats of the Interdominions.

He only needs to race up to that form - and handle the track half decently - and the support he has had in the markets this week to move him from $8 to $5.50 will be well founded.

"I was really happy with him at the Inters and even in the final I thought he was good after we did some work early," said Butt.

"I think if we had got a clearer run in the straight he might have run fourth, maybe even third. And he seems to have come through it well."

Monkey King remained the fixed-odds favourite last night but has drifted during the week while there could be emotional money for Changeover tomorrow night in what is likely to be his last start before being retired to stud.

Trotting Cup:

* Bondy has been supported in the markets for tomorrow night's $500,000 Trillian Trust Auckland Trotting Cup.

* His trainer-driver David Butt admits Bondy has little experience working right-handed.

* That is why the start will be so crucial for the Hunter Cup winner.

* Monkey King remains the Cup favourite but has drifted during the week.