Racing WA

Bond Has Plenty Of Faith In Aardiebytheseaside

18 July 2024

Trainer Greg Bond already rates exciting pacer Aardiebytheseaside as one of the best mares to have walked through his and wife Skye’s stable, ahead of her return to racing on Friday night.

Aardiebytheseaside gave Australian harness followers a taste of what’s to come when she won the Empress Stakes (2536m) and Breeders Stakes (2130m) earlier this year.

She makes her return in Friday’s Rotary Club Of Fremantle Pace (2130m), where she faces six rivals.

While Bond stopped short of declaring her the best mare he had trained, he said the early signs since she joined the stable earlier this year suggested she could reach that potential.

“She’s certainly shaping up like she could be,” Bond told Racing WA Harness.

“We’ve been lucky over the years to have some nice mares like Jungle Jewel, Our Alfie Romeo and a few others on the way through.

“What she did in the Empress Stakes she did stylishly and they went a second quicker mile rate than they did in the Nullarbor on the same night.

“She’s still got to come back, but the signs are good.”

The four-year-old is set to get a good test on her return to racing, where she faces the in-form Three Rumours.

Crucially, Aardiebytheseaside has drawn inside Three Rumours, who will have to overcome the outside draw.

Bond said he expected the mare to be fighting out the finish on Friday, despite conceding race fitness.

“I’m happy with her and her work coming back from a break,” he said.

“It’s not a big field, so it looks a good race to start with.

“She should measure up based on her work at home.”

November’s Norms Daughter Classic and Mares Classic are set to be the main targets for Aardiebytheseaside.

Bond said he wouldn’t hesitate to put her in the four-year-old feature races soon after the mares races.

“If she’s able to earn the right to go in those races, then that’s certainly in play,” he said.

“We only have Lusaka looking like he will go to those races, so hopefully she could be one that puts her hat in the ring.

“This is a campaign to get the racing into her and get her used to racing around Gloucester Park, because she is a big mare.”

Meanwhile, comeback pacer Mighty Conqueror will start in the Rotary Club Of Fremantle Pace (2536m) second-up from a lengthy layoff tomorrow night.

The nine-year-old produced an encouraging first-up performance when second to The Miki Taker and Bond said he expected another strong showing from the 2020 WA Pacing Cup winner.

“He’s got the outside marble, but 2500 is right in his wheelhouse,” he said.

“He’s trained on great from the first-up run.”

Tim Walker