Minstrel NZ Photo by Pacepix
STAR veteran Minstrel scored the biggest win of his stellar career as a rising eight-year-old in last night’s $450,000 Group 1 WA Pacing Cup at Gloucester Park.
It was the Team Bond-trained gelding’s fourth tilt at WA’s most prestigious race, having run fifth in 2022, seventh in January 2023 and then third in the November 2023 edition.
It was a training triumph for Team Bond with Minstrel only second-up and having come through a colic scare just a couple of weeks earlier.
Stable driver Deni Roberts played a huge role, rating Minstrel superbly outside leader Pinny Tiger, but being wary of her two main dangers Mister Smartie and Captain Ravishing in stalking positions behind her.
Minstrel gave a great “kick” when Robert said go on the final bend and held-on to win by 1.5m over Mister Smartie with Mighty Ronaldo escaping a three pegs pocket late to flash into third spot.
Star Victorian raider Captain Ravishing was a close fourth and not suited by having to come three-wide without cover for the last 950m of the race.
“That almost brought a tear to my eye, and I’m not one to cry. That’s insane,” Roberts said.
“I thought they’d get him at the top of the straight, but he finds the gear others don’t have.”
Just a week earlier, Roberts and Team Bond won the Group 1 WA Derby with Christopher Dance.
Minstrel’s win was first big impact on the 2024 Grand Circuit. The 100 points for winning, added to his two points for finishing ninth in the Fremantle Cup in April, took him into fourth spot on the points table.
Minstrel’s previous biggest win was the 2022 Fremantle Cup. He also ran second in the race in 2023 and second in the Nullarbor earlier this year.
The former Kiwi pacer has raced 64 times for 25 wins, 19 placings and banked $1,298,288.
Mighty Ronaldo’s third earned him 20 Grand Circuit points to go to 60 for the season and equal seventh spot on the table.
Leap To Fame, despite being scratched from last month’s Victoria Cup, holds an unbeatable lead on the Grand Circuit table with 300 points and just one leg – the Sydney Inter Dominion final on December 14 – to come.
