Plans uncertain with Group winner

SHORT term plans remain uncertain with promising pacer Bad To The Bone.

Sent across the Tasman in a bid to gain a start in the last month’s Chariots Of Fire, Bad To The Bone’s Australian campaign was extended to compete in several suitable events.

One of those was last night’s Group Three Attcall Civil Contractors Pace at Club Menangle, which the son of Bettors Delight captured in 1:51.4.

With several majors programmed in his native land, Bad To The Bone is due to return to New Zealand in coming weeks.

Whether that means the four-year-old has run his last Aussie race is yet to be decided according to trainer Paul Fitzpatrick.

“He a nice horse on and off the track,” Fitzpatrick said. “It’ll be a shame to see him go, but has been a pleasure to have him here.

“He’s got some big races back home such as the Taylor and Messenger and then the Jewels a little later on.

“The plan is to send him back to New Zealand in a couple of weeks, so whether he has one more start here hasn’t been decided yet.

“There is a race for him next week, but I’ll have to talk to the owners to see what they want to do.”

Driven by Fitzpatrick’s son Gavin, Bad To The Bone was caught three-wide early before being sent forward to test the leader, La Bella Vita, from the ‘death seat’.

Bullocking his way to the front halfway along the home straight, Bad To The Bone then staved off a late challenge from Iolanta to score by a head.

La Bella Vita battled on valiantly to be two-and-a-half metres away third.