Punters face a puzzling predicament as they ponder the possibilities in the TABtouch Pace over 1730m at Gloucester Park on Friday night, with the powerful Greg and Skye Bond stable providing four of the eight runners.
The Bonds will be represented by the speedy frontrunning Johnny Disco and the in-form trio of El Jacko, Vampiro and Mighty Mr Sharkey.
Interestingly, Ryan Warwick, the No. 1 stable driver for the Bonds, has elected to handle the talented, but somewhat enigmatic El Jacko, who will start from the outside barrier in the field of eight. Chris Lewis will drive Vampiro from barrier No. 7, Nathan Turvey will be in the sulky behind Mighty Mr Sharkey (barrier six) and Colin Brown will drive Johnny Disco from the prized No. 1 barrier.
This will be Brown’s first drive behind Johnny Disco, who will be having his second start for the Bond stable. Brown is one of the State’s most accomplished frontrunning drivers and, given Johnny Disco’s brilliant gate speed, the plan to lead with him is quite obvious.
Johnny Disco has started from the No. 1 barrier seven times for two wins (when he set the pace), a second (when he sat behind the pacemaker), two thirds and two fifths. He has started from barrier No. 2 nine times for four wins (three of which he led), three seconds (when he led), one fourth and one fifth. He has also led and won from barriers three and nine.
Perhaps what will sway punters to support Johnny Disco will be the fact that he gave a superb frontrunning display from the No. 1 barrier when he led until the final 30m and finished a half-length second to the New Zealand superstar Ultimate Machete over 2130m at Gloucester Park last January.
Johnny Disco made an excellent debut for the Bond stable last Friday week when he started at $71.20 from barrier two and raced three back on the pegs before finishing fifth behind champion pacer Chicago Bull, Devendra, Runrunjimmydunn and Beaudiene Boaz, a quartet of pacers with combined earnings of $3,408,702 and a total of exactly 100 wins.
Vampiro and El Jacko are comparatively lightly raced and are extremely talented. Each has raced only once over 1730m, with El Jacko working in the breeze and winning at a 1.55.6 rate from the pacemaker Franco Rayner and Chicago Bull as a three-year-old in November 2015. Vampiro’s only appearance over 1730m was six weeks ago when he set the pace and finished third to stablemate Galactic Star and Bettors Fire, with the winner rating a brilliant 1.52.
Vampiro is in solid condition after six splendid efforts (two seconds, three thirds and a fourth) after resuming from a spell. He gave an outstanding performance when a close third behind Runrunjimmydunn and Motu Premier in the 3309m Marathon Handicap last Friday night. He started off 30m and had a tough run without cover for much of the journey before taking the lead 620m from home and fighting on grandly.
