Ring the Bell Derby pick

Press, 20 April 1981, Page 15

Ring the Bell Derby pick

New Zealand horses have the opportunity of making it a clean sweep in the $200,000 A.J.C. Derby (2400 m at Randwick today; the race promises to be one of the highlights of the year. Ring the Bell and Prince Majestic have outstanding chances and also expected to be in the top bracket are the former NewZealander, Our Paddy Boy and the New Zealand-bred Sovereign Red. In the midst of the New Zealand talent is the grey filly Deck the Halls, which finished third to Ring the Bell and Sovereign Red in the Canterbury Guineas on a fast track and followed that by beating home Our Paddy Boy and Prince Majestic in the mud in the Rosehill Guineas. But the last filly to win the Derby was Tea Rose in 1944 and Deck the Halls has the added disadvantage of the outside barrier. In the latest market Ring the Bell, trained by Neville Atkins, is 5-to-2 favourite, with Prince Majestic, trained by Ray Verner, and Deck the Halls on the second line at 5-to-I. An Aucklander, Mr Bob Ross, owner of Prince Majestic, is confident of the Noble Bijou gelding’s chances. “He’s been aimed for the Derby for the last six months and done everything right," he said.

“And if he goes well tomorrow he will be in the Sydney Cup next week-end.’’ Ring the Bell, a Rangong colt which won the New Zealand Derby, found the muddy conditions of the Rosehill Guineas not to his liking when he finished fourth, but returned to the winning list by beating Private Thoughts home in the 2000 m Tulloch Stakes at Rosehill on April 11.

A.J.C. DERBY $200,000; 2400m 1 2279 Sovereign Red (2) 55.5 2 3141 Ring The Beil (10) 55.5 3 9603 Prince Majestic (19) 55.5 4 6012 Our Paddy Boy (18) 55.5 5 0030 Cosmic Planet (14) 55.5 6 1788 Real Force (17) 55.5 7 8609 Bright Halo (12) 55.5 S 3340 Bargambler (18) 55.5 9 4986 Tasman (13) 55.5 10 1112 Private Thoughts (1) 55.5 It 3850 Playboy Prince (16) 55.5 12 1105 Find The Gold (11) 55.5 13 3113 Whiskey Boy (4) 55.5 14 1706 Rio De Janeiro (15) 55.5 15 1105 Port Carling (3) 55.5 16 521 Around The Traps (9) 17 6380 Prince Weyand (7) 55.5 13 6131 Deck The Halls (20) 54.5 19 2734 Poker Player (5) 55.5 Emergencies: Poker Player, Our Town.