Lynward Park manager Troy van Heemst was busy transporting his yearlings and tack to the Swan Valley on Saturday morning but he wasn’t too occupied to talk about the chances of Bondi Bubbles in the RL Magic Millions WA 3YO Trophy (1200m) at Pinjarra.
The David Harrison-trained gelding was back in town after winning six in a row at Esperance and a black-type victory on Saturday afternoon would be a godsend for Lynward Park sire Bondi (Snitzel) ahead of the Perth Magic Millions Sale.
Bondi Bubbles (3g Bondi - Tousled by More Than Ready) was bred and sold by Alwyn Park for $35,000 at the 2022 Perth Magic Millions and won an early-season barrier trial at Lark Hill.
“He was the best 2yo in the stable according to ‘Harro’ but he got poleaxed and cast a plate first-up in the (LR) Supremacy Stakes and was then squeezed out of the gates in the (LR) Perth Stakes,” van Heemst recalled.
“His confidence was shot and he was still green so they ended up sending him to Esperance. You can’t fault his form down there and winning would also be a bonus for his yearlings later this week.”
Just hours after van Heemst completed another quick 40km return journey along the Great Northen Hwy between the Sales complex and Bullsbrook, Bondi Bubbles franked that Bay Of Isles form in the 3YO Trophy.
He was given a gun run apart from laying out to such an extent that Paul Harvey quipped he was calling for a bubble-cheek at the half-mile. “It was a worry but he finally put it all together,” Harvey added. “I wasn’t concerned about the class rise. He’s tenacious and did a good job.”
Bondi Bubbles charged home for a convincing victory over Siberian Siren (Grunt) and Leading Taddy (Ducimus). There was also a bonus for the ladies syndicate that banked first slice of prizemoney totalling $250,000.
“The Esperance campaign did him a world of good,” Harrison revealed. “He went there a boy and came back a man. Confidence is a wonderful thing and can make wagtails want to fight eagles.”
Bondi Bubbles is the first Stakes winner from the first-crop by Bondi out of a direct descendant of 1989 WA Horse of the Year Hold That Smile (Haulpak).
Peter & Paul Snowden trained Bondi and he was stiff not to have won black-type at two when placing in the LR Breeders Plate and G1 Champagne Stakes at Randwick as well as the G3 Black Opal in Canberra.
Bondi resumed at three and was nosed out of the RL Magic Millions Guineas on the Gold Coast before a brave third to The Autumn Sun in the G2 Hobartville Stakes when he sustained a career-ending tendon injury.
Lynward Park’s Bondi colt from Black in Time (Lot 213) is from a Blackfriars full-sister to Full Reign (LR Challenge Stakes) and Impact Rating (LR KBRC Boulder Cup) and her three-quarter sister Exquisite Timing won a LR Aquanita Stakes.
Black in Time won six city sprints for trainer Jim Taylor and has already foaled just as many winners. The colt’s older half-brother Made in Mexico (So You Think) can provide a Sale-eve update for Durrant Racing at Ascot on Wednesday.
“The colt looks an athlete and will keep developing being a November foal,” van Heemst said. “We’re thrilled with his prep. He’s ticking all the boxes and I’m sure he will find a good home.”
The Bondi - High Aims colt (Lot 261) will mature into a Guineas horse being a half-brother to Lynward Park’s homebred stayer Queen Alina (Mahuta) who sent her bank past $400,000 winning the LR ATA Stakes at Ascot in December.
Another Lynward Park entry from van Heemst, who is TBWA Vice President and Treasurer, is the Yes Yes Yes colt (Lot 79) from G3 La Trice Classic winner I'm Feeling Lucky (Bletchley Park). “I inspected Yes Yes Yes at Coolmore Stud and he comes from a pre-eminent precocious family that will exploit the stamina on the dam’s side. The colt’s a great mover and has an appetite for life that sometimes stretches our feeding regime!
“We also have a Rommel colt that won’t take long to get going. He’s straightforward and goes about his work like a pro. He’s been popular at the inspections so far and I rate him as a perfect Platinum horse.”
Rommel (Commands) got Lot 173 from Suzebabe (Testa Rossa), a Sandown Hillside winning half-sister to Spring Warrior (LR VATC Debutant Stakes).
The van Heemst family was already riding high before Bondi Bubbles with their I Am Invincible mare Real Danger winning the recent Listed Scenic Blast Stakes (1200m) at Ascot and Cyril Flower Sprint (1200m) at Bunbury. She was bred by Peters Investments and had carried the cerise and white silks before Lynward Park bought her from this time last year. Her next assignment is the LR Pinjarra Classic
