Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
The powerful training combination of Greg and Skye Bond has bright prospects of winning the $50,000 Lord Mayor’s Cup for the fourth time when stable stars Minstrel and Ideal Agent line up in the Group 3 feature at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The Bonds have been successful in the past three Lord Mayor’s Cups, with Mighty Conqueror (December 2020), Minstrel (February 2022) and Glenledi Chief (February 2023). The race, first run when trainer-reinsman Alan Woodworth won with Gendarme at a 2.9.7 rate in 1966, was not held in 2021.
This week’s Cup brings together a quality field with several realistic winning chances. However, Minstrel and Ideal Agent have emerged as leading contenders, with Ideal Agent to be driven by Deni Roberts from the No. 4 barrier, and Minstrel starting out wide at barrier eight, with Dylan Egerton-Green in the sulky.
They clashed in a 2130m event last Friday night when Minstrel, from barrier eight, revealed splendid fighting qualities to race wide early and then in the breeze before finishing powerfully to win by a half-neck from Ideal Agent after smart final 400m sections of 27.6sec. and 27.4sec.
Looming menacingly as serious rivals to the Bond pair are three talented pacers from Justin Prentice’s Boyanup stables, Tricky Miki (Maddison Brown; barrier one), Mighty Ronaldo (Emily Suvaljko; barrier five) and Jawsoflincoln (Gary Hall Jnr; barrier seven).
Suvaljko reported that the Prentice runners were working in fine style and that all three were capable of figuring in the finish.
“I’m looking forward to driving Mighty Ronaldo,” she said. “He is my favourite horse, and he is looking awesome; probably the best he’s ever looked. He is working really good and I’m hoping he brings his A game on Friday night.
“He is a horse who relies on a lot of luck, with his racing pattern as a sit-sprinter. We won’t be doing any work early. Hopefully, a few of the good ones have a go at it, and we will have the last crack.”
The brilliant Tricky Miki will be resuming after a nine-week absence, since he set the pace and won the Golden Nugget in mid-December. “Justin obviously leans on the side of caution with first-up runners,” said Suvaljko. “But we saw Rolling Fire come out and record a fast mile rate and win first-up last week. Mighty Romando and Rolling Fire have been working together.”
Jawsoflincoln has been outstanding at his first three starts in WA and is sure to prove mighty hard to beat. He began from the outside of the front line (barrier eight) in a 2130m event last Friday night when he was tenth and last at the bell before beginning a fast three and four-wide move with 370m to travel and finishing an excellent second to Hotly Pursued. He sprinted over the final 400m in 27.3sec.
Hall has won the Lord Mayor’s Cup with Live To Reign in 2007 and Chicago Bull in 2018, while Prentice drove the Tony Svilicich-trained Mysta Magical Mach to victory in the 2011 Cup.
Chris Lewis has driven the winner of the Lord Mayor’s Cup a record eight times, and he will be looking for a strong effort from Rumour Has It, the only mare in the field who is favourably drawn at the No. 2 barrier.
Adding considerable interest in Friday night’s Cup will be the return to racing of the exciting and lightly-raced five-year-old Swingband, who is poorly drawn on the outside (No. 9) on the front line.
Swingband, a winner at 13 of his 25 starts, is trained by Ryan Bell and will be making his first appearance for eight and a half months, since he made most of the running and won easily from The Mustang at a 1.55.3 rate over 2130m on June 2.
Swingband warmed up for this week’s race in fine style when he set the pace in a three-horse trial over 2185m at Pinjarra on Wednesday of last week and won by almost three lengths from Hampton Banner, rating 1.56.4, with final quarters of 29sec., 28.9sec. and 27.1sec.
“It’s a very nice field, and hopefully there’s pressure on and he can be the beneficiary of that,” said Swinband’s driver Kyle Symington. “He has come back really well, and his trial was good when he got a bit lazy in front when no horse was challenging him.
“I can’t recall driving Swingband with a sit, but I know one night when Micky G (Michael Grantham) was driving him, he was last at the 400m, and he ended up winning. And I think, going forward, that’s his style of racing.”
The Michael Brennan-trained Pinny Tiger resumed after a spell last Friday week when he led from barrier one and won very easily from Tiger Royal over 2130m. He will start from the inside of the back line and his driver Chris Voak said the six-year-old was capable of winning the Cup.
“It’s a perfect draw for him,” said Voak. “He ran good time when he won, first-up, and if the gaps open at the right time he can win. He has beaten horses of this calibre before.”