Leading all the way, the son of Art Major USA began from the outside barrier in the small four-horse field and after an initial battle for the front with Arionrocks, Deni Roberts and the youngster claimed the win in the first with a 3.1m margin in 1:58:4.
Bonds and Roberts teamed up again in race three with three-year-old Fess Up NZ making his return to racing a winning one, after a four-month let up. Bringing up his third career win, Roberts came from behind, making her move three wide with 600m to go, to win by 2m over the $1.95 favourite in 1:58:2 over the 2185m trip.
Jagara NZ delivered the final instalment of their winning treble on the day, with the five-year-old coming home the better to beat Spring Line by a half head on the line. It was the second time that Roberts came out on top over her partner and rival driver Mitchell Miller on the day.
Posseidon took out the trotters' event in race two after leading all the way form the front-line handicap for Tracy Reay and Gary Hall Jnr. With a winning mile rate of 2:02:3 over the 2116m standing start trip, the lightly race nine-year-old resumed off an 8-month hiatus from racing, winning first up for the new stable after running fourth in a qualifying trial last Wednesday at Pinjarra.
"My understanding is he has had quite a few issues and then he would flick in a pace,
"We took him on about two months ago, he does have some back issues and I spend a bit of time massaging him every day,
"I think he has a lot of ability." Reay said
Stephen Reeds stable recently got a lot bigger, with Maddys Nino NZ returning from a spell to win first up, with Shannon Suvaljko in the cart. The four-year-old was sent to the paddock after his last start in August, and after starting as the $1.90 favourite on Monday, was able to lead all the way to win by 3.7m in 1:59:6. Reed confirmed that the spell last year was to allow the big horse time to develop and fill out.
David Hunter and Kyle Harper combined forces in race six, with Idealingold NZ winning first up since making the move to WA from New Zealand. After commencing trials here in WA this month, the five-year-old started as the short-priced $1.65 favourite, with Harper managing to lead all the way from barrier two in 1:59:0 over the 2185m trip.
Favourite punters were once again rewarded in the sixth with the Michael Young runner Lamandier too good for his rivals in the standing start over the 2631m. Driven by Gary Hall Jnr, the win gave him his second win in the cart on the day, with the pair claiming a comfortable win by 11.7m in 2:03:5, the first win for the gelding since making his way to the west late last year.
The maidens closed the meeting again this week, with Classical Ellie kicking that status after working her way to the lead in the early stages to win with ease by 5.6m in 2:02:7 for driver Chris Voak. The three-year-old came off a last start second at Pinjarra two weeks earlier, claiming the win at just her second start in a race for trainer Michael Brennan.
