Interest in Bell Flight’s performance

Press, 26 May 1979, Page 21

Interest in Bell Flight’s performance

Special correspondent Auckland Jumpers being prepared for Ellerslie and the Great Northerns in particular will be greatly interesting at Rotorua today none more so than Bell flight when running 2200 m on the flat. Bell Flight, an Otago visitor with the Great Northern Hurdles on his programme, is among a crowd of entries for the big Ellerslie race in today’s Great Northern Jumpers’ Trial. Our Patron, Leyland, Odland, Byrnside, George and Beric are others in the Rotorua race which are entered for the Northern Hurdles.

The last time Bell Flight ran in a jumpers’ flat event was on April 9 when he finished third over 2000 m at Rangiora. Bell Flight could not have been more impressive when winning the Waikato Hurdles. He is clearly at a peak of fitness and already a warm favourite for the Great Northern.

Except for Bell Flight and I Leyland the more prominent (Great Northern Hurdles (hopefuls in the Rotorua event will be carrying considerably more than their handicaps at Ellerslie. | Bell Flight has the same 'weight in both races, 63kg, and Leyland, this time, is [down 4. skg from the amount he has been given in the I Great Northern. By com- : parison Odland, Byrnside, I George, Our Patron and j Beric have more weight in ithe Rotorua race, Odland by [as much as 7kg.

i Odland, while his form on [the flat is better than that over jumps, is a last-start winner over hurdles, at [Trentham on May 12, so a win here would suggest with his lighter weight bright prospects in the Great Northern.

Big items at the Rotorua meeting, besides the jumpers’ flat, will be the Travelodge Stakes, a weight-for-age 1400 m event for fillies and mares, and the T.A.8.double races, the City of Rotorua Handicap and the Coruba “6000.”

Silver Liner, from Woodville, Lady Belle, from Matamata and another visitor from the Central Districts. ! Stormee, are among several good gallopers in the Travelodge Stakes. Stormee had the better of Silver Liner when they last met, in the Cuddle Stakes at Trentham on May 5, finishing first as against the othet 1 mare's third placing. But she is much worse off this time — up 5.5 kg whereas Silver Liner is down half a kilogram.

Shelter's Gold, a winner in I three of his last four attempts, will be a favourite Ito continue his good form in [the City of Rotorua Handicap but he has some solid i middle-distance runners to beat, including a group from I the Central Districts. I The South Island four-year-old, Greek Magic, looks a good prospect for the Coruba “6000.” He showed only fair form when trained in the North for a spell last spring but from his Canterbury stable has lately looked right at his best again. Avenger, Wanbin and I Smart Fella are other good J prospects.