Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
The first appearance in Western Australia of We Walk By Faith will create considerable interest when he begins from the back mark of 50 metres in the Bridge Bar Handicap over 2503m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The Victorian-bred five-year-old boasts an impressive record and he should prove too talented for his eleven rivals at his first outing after a four-month absence.
We Walk By Faith, a son of super sire Bettors Delight, is prepared by champion trainers Greg and Skye Bond and will be driven by Deni Roberts. He has done the bulk of his racing in New Zealand and has earned $591,718 from nine wins and 11 placings from 42 starts.
He has won three Group 1 feature events and has finished a nose second to star pacer Chase A Dream in two other group 1 races.
His Group 1 victories have been in the 1980m Ace Of Spades at Addington in December 2023, the $301,000 New Zealand Derby over 2600m at Addington in December 2024 and the 1609m Taylor Mile at Alexandra Park in April 2025, rating 1.51.6.
We Walk By Faith has not been produced in trials since arriving in WA three months ago, and he should follow in the footsteps of many other New Zealand performers trained by the Bonds who have won first-up in WA.
Those first-up WA winners in recent years include Our Jimmy Johnstone, Galactic Star, Millwood Meg, Himself, Carana, Steel The Show, Rock Diamonds, Lawrence, Kilowatt Kid, El Jacko, Phoenix Warrior, In The Spotlight, Mighty Mr Sharkey, Eastwood Crystal, Char Do Neigh, Ima Tragedy, Change Stride, Jungle Genie, Millwood Faith, Socrates, Master Yossi, Hit It Rich, Ocean Ridge, Messi, Ima Connoisseur, Barrow Street, Jay Bees Grin, Fizzing, Our Alfie Romeo, Jett Star, Miss Mucho, Bettor Aim, Lusaka, Bettor Fortune, Mitch Maguire, See Ya Write, Delightful Offer, Mighty Conqueror, Patronus Star, Minstrel, Aardiebytheseaside, Vegas Strip, Tenzing Bromac, Captains Creek, Arista, Troubadour, In Rare Air, Christopher Dance, Tualou, Captainshavtime, Our Crunch Time, Proposition Joe, Justcallmemiki, Manuka Bay, Skinny Dippin and Havtimeformiki.
We Walk By Faith has raced only five times in Australia for one win and four unplaced efforts at Menangle, with that victory coming in a heat of the New South Wales Derby in March 2024.
He has revealed considerable versatility in his 37 New Zealand starts, seven of which were in stands for one win (over 2600m at Addington late last September when he galloped badly from the front line, settled in tenth and last place before gaining the one-out, one-back trail in the middle stages and finishing strongly to win by three-quarters of a length from Renegade, rating 1.58.5 after dashing over the final 800m in 55.6sec. and the last 400m in 26.6sec.
His other standing-start runs resulted in two seconds, two thirds and two fifths. He excelled in his most recent outing in a stand, ten starts ago in the $1 million Group 1 New Zealand Cup over 3200m at Addington on November 11 last year. He began safely, was 13th in the field of 15 at the bell before sustaining a spirited burst to finish a splendid fifth behind Kingman, who beat a gallant Leap To Fame.
We Walk By Faith’s most recent appearances were in Group 1 feature events at Alexandra Park in May this year. On May 1 he finished fourth behind star pacers Got the Chocolates, The Lazarus Effect and Swayzee over 2200m, with the winner rating 1.55.7 after final quarters of 28.2sec. and 27.6sec.
There was an identical result in a 2700m event a week later when We Walk By Faith ran on from seventh at the bell to finish a well-beaten fourth. Got The Chocolates rated 1.55.4 after final 400m sections of 27.8sec. and 28.2sec.
We Walk By Faith’s record is vastly superior to those of his opponents on Friday night. Those with the brightest prospects of figuring in the finish are Artful Major and Machnificent, who will begin from the 30m line, and Stormy Vista, the sole runner handicapped off 20m.