Ken Casellas | Photo: Pacepix
Champion trainers Greg and Skye Bond are in the midst of a purple patch, and they have excellent prospects of extending a wonderful winning sequence when the speedy Master Yossi begins from the No. 2 barrier in the opening event, the 1730m Nova 93.7 Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The Bonds have been successful with their past four starters, Regal Aura ($1.50) at Gloucester Park on Monday, and then with Vegas Strip ($1.20), Cotton On ($2.60) and Tiger By The Tail ($7.20) at Bunbury on Tuesday.
Those four winners were driven by Deni Roberts, who will be in the sulky behind Master Yossi on Friday night. The Bond stable notched a treble last Friday night with Peter Petrify ($1.80), Master Yossi ($6.80) and Raven Banner ($2.90) and its past 15 starters have produced nine wins, three seconds, one third, one fourth and one sixth placing.
Master Yossi overraced badly last Friday night when he set a fast pace and rated a smart 1.54.4 when he beat his talented stablemate Street Hawk by a length over 1730m.
Roberts is likely to be keen to set the pace with Master Yossi, who has speedy beginners The Kraken (barrier one) and Kimble (barrier three) to contend with. Kimble, to be driven by Stuart McDonald for trainer Michael George, being most impressive last Friday week when he was last in the field of seven at the bell before finishing fast to be a close second to Tenzing Bromac over 2536m.
The Kraken, trained by Dan Costello and to be handled by Mitchell Miller, has a losing sequence of 41, but he will have admirers after placings behind Mea Culpa and Mr Fantastic at two of his past three starts.
The Bonds and Roberts will also have sound prospects with Peter Petrify in the John Higgins Memorial and Tenzing Bromac in the Catalano Pace. They have a commanding lead on the WA trainers’ premiership table, having prepared 106 winners this season and leading from Michael Young (52 winners), Aiden De Campo (45) and Gary Hall Snr (43). Roberts has driven 124 winners this season and is in second place behind Gary Hall Jnr (156 winners) on the drivers’ premiership table.