Minstrel NZ taking out the 2025 Kookabrook Livestock Pinjarra Cup Photo by Photography by Jodie Hallows
Minstrel NZ was all class in Kookabrook Livestock 2025 Pinjarra Cup on Monday, March 3, with the Team Bond star eight-year-old claiming his second Pinjarra Cup in consecutive years.
Since making his return from Sydney after finishing runner-up in the 2024 Inter Dominion Final behind Nullarbor hopeful, Don Hugo.
Speaking with Tim Walker and Digby Beacham on Tuesday mornings The Sports Daily on TABradio, Greg Bond was confident Minstrel NZ had the fitness to handle the breeze and throughout the run he knew he was on a winner.
“After about 200 yards, to be quite honest, they burnt too hard early, and Deni stayed out of it early, they just went too hard for that couple of hundred and they were always going to be vulnerable, he was able to work there under his speed and just get there, and as I said, we thought we would have to breeze, but we thought he had the necessary fitness to get the job done.”
“His form has just been impeccable for the past 18 months, his form had probably dropped off for 12 months prior to that and I sort of thought maybe that was him done, but to his credit and Skye has done a huge amount of work on this horse, just turned him around and he’s just really, really continued to race in super form for the last year-and-a-half, and at this no signs of stopping which is great.” Greg Bond told the Sports Daily
Minstrel NZ and Tenzing Bromac made their way home from NSW by road and within seven days of the final were back in their paddocks at home, enjoying a quick freshen up before resuming their autumn campaigns.
“They didn’t have a long time off, so he was very forward, and he ran accordingly, we were fairly confident that we’d have to sit in the breeze outside that leader, but the horse delivered as we expected.”
Whilst the camp isn’t making any formal announcements on The Nullarbor just yet, it is their aim for Minstrel NZ to represent their slot in the $1.25m Group 1 on April 25 at Gloucester Park.
“Hopefully all the wheels stay on and full of air between now and then, and he will definitely be buttering up in that race again this year.”
With the New Zealand Cup always an ambition for the multi-premiership trainer, there is plenty of time between now and then, with the stable hopeful to tackle the Nullarbor and Fremantle Cup before giving the WA star a well-deserved rest.
“I’ve been to a lot of them, and it would be nice to have one, look it’s something you would love to do, but that’s a fair way down the track and with our racing here, the cup (New Zealand) being the second Tuesday in November and obviously our Pacing Cup was November last year and it’s going to be December this year, we will just see how he goes.”
“We probably haven’t made any firm plans, once we get through the Nullarbor and the Fremantle Cup, whether we want to go up to Queensland and give him another go at the Inters, we’re not overly sure about that.”
Team Bond had two runners in yesterday's feature at Pinjarra, with Tenzing Bromac NZ finishing just 7.2m behind his stablemate.
“Yeah, very happy with him too, he just got four wide down the back, and it probably cost him running second, he’s always been a couple of lengths behind Minstrel as we know, but he was really brave yesterday.”
“I’m sure he will progress on and do a good job this campaign as well.”
Skye Bond has quite the affiliation with Minstrel NZ and since arriving in the barn in late 2020, their bond has just continued to grow.
“We have so many horses in our barn, and you can train them all the same, but he’s just got that extra depth and extra sass about him that just shows you that when you’ve got that much will and drive you can do anything.”
“He was a little bit quirky when he first came over, and was never really a good gaited horse, I guess in our system, I’m the one that fine tunes the trackwork and gear side of things, so I started a bit of an association with the horse through there because he wasn’t so well gaited and we just hit it off, I feel like we can read each other really well.” Skye Bond said
Skye Bond confirmed that they will head back to Pinjarra in a fortnights time to tackle the Regency Food Mount Eden Sprint on Monday, March 17, with the added incentive of a $10,000 bonus offered if the winner breaks 1.50.00 for the mile.
The Monday March 17 program will also feature the Dr Ed Dewar Golden Girls Mile.
