Coffs Harbour galloper Bondit staked their claims for a tilt at next weekend’s South Grafton Cup with a gritty final-stride victory in the Bowraville Cup last Sunday.
The Joe Janiak-trained Hussonet five-year-old held on in a nail-biting finish on a Heavy-rated track to beat home Clan McClymont by a mere nose in this year’s $20,000 Bowraville Cup (1370m) earning a bid at back-to-back Cup wins.
Janiak named the $45,000 South Grafton Cup next Sunday as the next aim for Bondit, who took their race record to six wins from 46 starts with their Bowraville Cup victory that automatically qualified them for the Grafton showdown.
To date Bondit has banked just over $101,000 in prize money for owner-trainer Janiak, who was the formerly behind the preparation of the great, eight-time Group 1 winning champion Takeover Target.
Having purchased Takeover Target for a mere $1,250 in 2003, former Queanbeyan taxi driver Janiak lived out a true turf fairytale with the Celtic Swing gelding winning everything from the Doomben 10,000 in Brisbane to Group 1 races in Singapore, Japan and Europe.
While far from reaching the unmatched turf triumphs of their legendary stablemate, Bondit is still an honest racehorse according to Janiak.
“Bondit is an honest horse and he can handle the wet no problems, so if he pulls up well he’ll be running in the South Grafton Cup,” Janiak said.
“I’ve nominated quite a few for the July Carnival (at Grafton) and will be brining three or four up for the prelude day on Thursday.”
To the major features of the July Carnival at Grafton are the $130,000 Listed Ramornie Handicap (1200m) on Wednesday July 13, a race won by Takeover Target in 2004, and the next day’s $150,000 Listed Grafton Cup (2350m).
