Greg Bond made a sound decision to outlay the comparatively cheap figure of $20,000 to purchase a Captain Crunch colt at the New Zealand national standardbred yearling sale at the Karaka Sales Centre in February 2023.
Now a four-year-old gelding named Our Crunch Time is giving every indication that he will prove to be an outstanding bargain.
Bond and his wife Skye have been leading trainers in WA for many years, and they produced Our Crunch Time in fine fettle for his Australian debut in the $21,000 Vale David Clement Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Starting the $1.30 favourite, Our Crunch Time, driven by Deni Roberts, was not extended in setting the pace and sprinting over the final 400m sections in 27.9sec. and 28.1sec. to win by almost two lengths from the $4.40 second fancy Rockokoko, rating 1.56.4.
Our Crunch Time was having his first start for 20 weeks, after having made seven appearances in New Zealand in Bond’s ownership for three wins, two seconds and $30,063. His stake-earnings rose to $42,121 after Friday night’s success.
“He is a big horse, and he handled the track quite well,” said Roberts. “He is lowly assessed at the moment, and he has a lot of time to prove himself.”
Our Crunch Time is the seventh and last foal out of Macy Delight, a winner of two races from ten starts whose second foal Major Express has been plagued by injury but nevertheless revealed wonderful ability, with his 16 starts producing ten wins, two placings and $78,452.
Major Express won once from five starts as a two-year-old in New Zealand before arriving in WA where he has raced eleven times for nine wins and one third placing.
Among Team Bond’s purchases at the 2023 yearling sale in New Zealand is the Captain Crunch gelding Captains Creek, who was bought for $85,000 and has raced 24 times for the Bond stable in WA for seven wins, seven placings and $48,870.
