Brilliant four-year-old Patronus Star showed that he is poised for a highly successful winter campaign when he outgunned his rivals on a heavy waterlogged track at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
At his first appearance for 15 weeks, Patronus Star, a hot $1.30 favourite from the No. 1 barrier in the 2130m Christmas In July At The Beau Rivage Pace, simply ambled around the track in front before sprinting the final 400m in 27.6sec. to beat in-form pacers Boom Time and Diego at a slow 2.0.5 rate.
“He only had to what he needed to do,” said star reinsman Ryan Warwick. “He got it pretty easy.”
The win completed a treble for Warwick and outstanding trainers Greg and Skye Bond, who had combined earlier in the night to win with Lawrence and In The Spotlight.
Patronus Star, the winner of the WA Derby in April 2020, won at two of his seven New Zealand starts and now has raced 15 times for the Bond stable for ten wins and three placings. His stake-earnings now stand at $299,889.
Six-year-old Lawrence was a $1.30 favourite from the No. 1 barrier in the 2536m Bridge Bar Pace, and after resisting a strong early challenge for the lead from Nota Bene Denario, he was untroubled to set the pace and dashed over the final quarters in 28.8sec. and 28.5sec. to beat the fast-finishing $21 chance Rabchenko by a half-length, with Nota Bene Denario ($7.50) fighting on gamely to be a length farther back in third place.
Lawrence, a winner of five races in New Zealand, has been a splendid performer for the Bonds in WA where his 14 starts have produced seven wins and five seconds for an overall record of 42 starts for 12 wins, 16 placings and stakes of $121,793.
by Ken Casellas