Big targets ahead for comeback pacer Honolua Bay

ONE of Australia’s fastest and most exciting pacers Honolua Bay kick-starts a campaign aimed at Victoria’s biggest races when he returns from injury at Kilmore on Saturday night.

Honolua Bay is bred and raced by Bill and Anne Anderson, who also happen to race champion mare Ladies In Red.

Bill Anderson makes no secret of the fact their huge opinion of Honolua Bay has made the decision much easier for Ladies In Red to bypass the Victoria Cup and Inter Dominion in coming months,

“He’s a special horse, this one,” Anderson said. “He’s had his issues along the way, but maybe they’ve been a blessing because Emma (Stewart) and Clayton (Tonkin) think he’s come back better than ever.

“We’re so excited to get him back to the races and we’re sure he’ll be a major player in all the big ones.”

The five-year-old Honolua Bay has not raced since being found to have a quarter-crack in a hoof after winning the Group 1 Vicbred 4YO final at Melton last New Year’s Eve.

At the time he was being touted as a serious Miracle Mile contender.

The regally-bred son of Somebeachsomewhere has raced just 21 times for 14 wins.

“He’s just so fast, incredibly fast really,” Anderson said.

“We’ve had to be patient, but hopefully this will be his campaign and chance to show he’s as good as we think.”

Ladies In Red winning the Group 1 Rising Sun at Albion Park this month. Picture: Dan Costello

This is no easy first-up assignment with Honolua Bay drawing the back row (gate nine) and facing feature race-winning pair Max Delight (gate seven), Supreme Dominator (eight) as well as the classy Tango Tara (six) and Torrid Saint (four).

Ladies In Red stayed in Queensland for more than a week after her stunning Group 1 Rising Sun win on July 9 and only returned to Stewart and Tonkin’s Ballarat stables this week.

Anderson reaffirmed plans to keep her to racing her own sex for the remainder of this year.

“She’s having a bit of break now,” he said. “She’ll be back for the mares’ triple crown at Melton in October and then there is the Breeders Crown (4YO Mares) the Vicbred final on New Year’s Eve.

“Everything going to plan, she’ll have a little break after the Vicbred and get ready for a Sydney trip for the Ladyship Mile next February.”

It’s now clear Ladies In Red’s most likely next clash with the “boys” will be in the $1 million Miracle Mile at Menangle in March.

“That’s the plan,” Anderson said. “We can keep her against the girls until the Ladyship and if she wins that, she’ll go on to the Miracle Mile.”

• Adam Hamilton is a paid contributor writing on harness racing for News Corp.

Honolua Bay hasn’t been seen since winning the Vicbred 4YO final on New Year’s Eve. Picture: Stuart McCormick