Runaway win for Bell Flight in Waikato Hurdles

Press, 14 May 1979, Page 22

Runaway win for Bell Flight in Waikato Hurdles

Special Correspondent Auckland

Thi'. connections of Bell Flight, which ran away with the Waikato Hurdles at Te Rapa on Saturday, could suffer through a change made this year in the Waikato Racing Club’s Club’s Winter programme.

The Club’s departure from the usual in the declaring of weights for the two major jumping events could make all the difference to Bell Flight’s chance of completing the hurdles-steeple-chase double.

Certainly it means that the gelding will have to carry considerably more than otherwise in the Waikato Steeplechase this coming Saturday. The 62.5 kg he has been given is probably 3kg or thereabouts- more than if the handicapping procedure of

many years past had been followed. Until this year the Waikato club’s official, Mr S. G. Tonks, was required to declare together his weights for the hurdles and steeplechase, This meant that a horse trying for the double and winning the hurdles and escaped scot free as far as penalty for the steeplechase was concerned. Under the rules no rehandicap on weights already declared is allowed from hurdling to steeplechasing or vice versa. But when able to delay the framing of the steeplechase weights until today Mr Tonks had the chance to take into account Bell Flight’s win yesterday. Just what value Mr Tonks put on Bell Flight’s performance last week-end is his own business but it would surely have been 3kg at least. Even with all this consid-

ereJ Bell Flight has just to train on through the next few days to be a shortpriced favourite for the Waikato Steeplechase, so impressively did he take the hurdles.

In no time Bell Flight was clear in front, galloping very freely and gaining lengths on most of his opponents at every jump. Into the second half of the 3200 m, his rider N. J. Harnett, took a hold of him so that Simon O’Dee, Artesian and Beric closed to within three or four lengths. But when given a bit more rein, Bell Flight drew away again. His jump at the last hurdle was as good as any and he eased right down at the finish, 12 lengths out from the runner-up Wata Devil.

Five years old and young yet for a jumper, Bell Flight has had, by the reckoning of his trainer, John Dowling, eight races over fences —

three as a steeplechaser and five as a hurdler. Half this number have been since last early March, when he came back to racing after a spell, and they brought in three wins and a second placing. His successess, besides the one on Saturday, were in the Great Western Steeplechase at Riverton and a brush hurdles at Winton. The second placing in a hurdles event was at the Marlborough meeting on May 2. Dowling, once a successful jockey, remarkably so when an apprentice in the employ of the late D. P. Wilson, bought Bell Flight to Te Rapa from Wingatui early last week. He trains the horse for four Southlanders, Messrs K. F. Laidlaw, A. Forde, F. J. McCallum and J. C. Nicolson. all of whom mac’2 the trip north for Saturday.