Lucky touch

Press, 12 July 1988, Page 37

Lucky touch

DAVID MCCARTHY

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Last week-end was one of stunning success for the Ashburton owner, Leen Dekker. Mr Dekker has owned only two racehorses. One, Ann Bell, in which he purchased a share recently, won at the Timaru Racing Club’s meeting on Friday and paid over $3O to win.

The other is the pacer, Chiddock, which paid over $6O winning at Addington on Saturday evening. Mr Dekker bought Ann Bell as a breeding proposition from her trainer, Jim Lalor, a few months ago. Sharing in the ownership is his father, Marinus, and a friend, Elizabeth Coull.

Ahn Bell, a winner for Lalor, was retired to stud in November, 1986, and booked to be bred with Golden Elder. However, she was not bred with the horse and returned to racing last month after a lengthy absence. Ridden well by Debbie Anderton, who is attached to the Lalor stable, on loan until this week-end, Ann Bell ran home late down the outside to upset one of the favourites, Leveldeen. Now a six-year-old, the sister to a smart qualifier (Denys Smith) at Orari last week, Ann Bell had been set for another attempt at a breeding career in the spring but if her present form holds her connections may well have a change of heart And with this sort of golden touch Leen Dekker is unlikely to have to search far for partners in any future forays into horse ownership.