Bellaware easy winner

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32846, 21 February 1972, Page 11

Bellaware easy winner

| “The Press" Special Service DUNEDIN. ; Bellaware, the top-weight In the Otago Handicap, the first - leg of the Dunedin Jockey ’ Club's TJX.B. double on Satur- 1 day, scared one of the easiest ■ wins seen on the course In re- , cent years. Bellaware took over her usual ■ role of pacemaker and main- : tained a 12-length lead through : the back straight. Over the con- 1 eluding stages it was only under sufferance that Grey Pride got ■ within five lengths of her. No-one was prepared to close 1 the gap and it was left to B. L. 1 Shaw, the rider of Grey Pride, 1 to make a belated attempt to catch the mare. His was a hope- ' less task, but it gave him second, 1 six lengths ahead of Artful Lass, ' which ran on from fifth into the straight. j El Shub, third into the straight, , battled on for fourth, a nose back. Dawn Belle and Gay Har- j mony led in the remainder. ; The favourite, Atomic Flight, 1

after racing on the Inner in midfield, could make no impression. He finished seventh. Funny Way, having his second start in a fresh campaign, outran the sprinters in the Shorts Handicap for the second year in succession. Funny Way, the winner of six races last season when trained by L. D. S. Barr at Rlccarton, was sold at the South Island sales in August for $675. On Saturday he won $7OO for his new owner, Mr K. F. Laidlaw. Funny Way disputed the pace with Joh Hanan to near the furlong. He then ran clear and easily held off challenges from the top-weight. Crown Agent, and the favourite, Menuetto. Crown Agent was back in the early running, but he finished fast to head Menuetto out of second place. Menuetto was denied a chance to make the pace and came to the end of her run just short of the post. There was a length and a half then to Kurcharre, which finished fast for fourth after being last in the early running.