Captain Bond bids for Magic Millions Country Cup

By Glenn Davis

Townsville trainer Les Gordy saddled his first Brisbane starter in the Country Stampede at Doomben earlier this month and now hopes to book a return trip south for the $500,000 Magic Million Country Cup with Captain Bond at the Gold Coast on January 13.

Five-year-old Hallside Hammer became Gordy’s first metropolitan starter since he took out a trainer’s licence four years ago when the gelding finished ninth in the Country Stampede at Doomben on December 2.

Gordy enjoyed the experience and now hopes Captain Bond can book a start in the Magic Millions Country Cup when the four-year-old steps out in the Magic Millions Country Cup Qualifier at Home Hill on Thursday.

“I was trying to find an easy race for him before he went out for a spell when I noticed this Magic Millions Country Cup qualifier,” Gordy said.

“I haven’t made any plans yet about going down for the Magic Millions but if he wins and wins well he’ll be going.

“But it all will depend on the logistics to get him there.”

Captain Bond has started only four times for Gordy for three wins and a fifth and is coming off a last start win over 1200 metres at Bowen on December 14.

“I thought his last run at Bowen was very good and he should be very competitive again,” Gordy said.

The son of Capitalist started his career in Sydney with Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou winning twice in eight starts before being moved on to Gold Coast trainer Peter Robl.

After failing at his only start for Robl at Ipswich in August, Captain Bond was bought by Gordy for $17,000 at an Inglis on-line sale in September.

“When I first got him I talked to Peter Robl about him and he said he had a few quirks and barrier dramas,” Gordy said.

“He was a project horse for me and something to play around with as he wouldn’t load in the barriers and he had a few other issues so I just started from scratch again and worked on his barrier manners first.

“Carl Spry helped out a lot working on his barrier manners.”

Gordy only trains a small team at Cluden Park as he works full-time as a fly in, fly out electrician in the mines nears Charters Towers.