He lobbed handy to the pace, he secured his favoured rails passage and he extended nicely during the run home. It was a quite simple scenario for the classy stayer Ring The Bell for him to claim his fourth Group race title win since he crossed the Tasman when he strolled to his Kingston Cup victory on Thursday evening.
Pictured: Ring The Bell in full flight when winning Thursday’s Kingston Cup (pic Dave Robbie)
Ring The Bell made no mistake when wearing the pink racing vest when the Addington 732m traps opened for the $15,825 Group 2 event which annually recognises the immense contribution the Kingston family has made to the greyhound code both regionally and nationally.
It was the Dave and Jean Fahey prepared Runway Bono who won the break and he undertook the pace making duties. Pushing around the outer was Ring The Bell, while settling along the rail from her kinder trap one draw was Know Jinx from the Gary Cleeve kennels.
The race order remained pretty much the same for another lap of the Addington track until the stayers swung in for the run home. That was where Ring The Bell used his staying strength when cutting underneath the pace setter and slipped clear to secure his Group 2 title by a 3.25 length margin, clocking 43.33s for his conditioner Ray Adcock.
A desperate last stride lunge by Know Jinx saw her snatch the runners up prize away from a real gallant Runway Bono by the barest possible margin. There was another fourth lengths back to the fourth placed Steve and Bonnie Evans trained Opawa Cheviot.
Know Jinx was the first Kiwi-bred stayer to finish, which ensured this daughter of Yella Mustard and Know Which provided Cleeve and his partner Gaylene Turnwald with the Breeders bonus payment attached to the Group race.
For Ring The Bell his 27th career win came on the eve of his biggest Australian race win, the National Distance final which he so strongly won in Adelaide last year. This season’s edition will be decided Friday night on Brisbane’s Albion Park.
Trainer Ray Adcock had a planned appointment on Friday morning, therefore we spoke to Graham Tapiki about Ring The Bell’s ninth New Zealand race victory. “Disco (kennel name) sat where he wanted to be on the rail and came away to win it well. He looked very good during the running.”
“When we got home last night Ray told us the win was the result of team work,” he added referring to the work that kennel workers Jordan Bryce, Daniel Lane and Graham puts in at the Dunsandel training establishment.
The Friday morning quote about Ring The Bell from the kennel was, “He is as causal as – he’s all ready to go again.” It is likely that Disco’s next major “go” assignment will be in the scheduled September 18 running of the Nancy Cobain Memorial 660m heats at the Manawatu Raceway where he will seeking to add to his $89,900 stakes tally in this country ($364,617 on both sides of the Tasman).
Ring The Bell after his Kingston Cup victory; with members of the Kingston family at the podium, also with runner Know Jinx with Gary Cleeve and third placed Runway Bono and co-trainer Jean Fahey – pics Dave Robbie
Strong NZRS Graduation win by Opawa Plum
When Opawa Plum rounded the first turn stalking the pacemaker it was very obvious that she had taken full ownership of Thursday’s running of the $8,400 NZRS Graduation final at the Addington Raceway for her trainers Dave and Jean Fahey.
Opawa Plum had delivered a powerful heat effort the prior Thursday after this daughter of Barcia Bale and Opawa Secret came from a hopeless early field position to fly home for heat third placing. Being in a handier early field position was an ominous sight for her rivals.
She mastered the brave pace making Nozzno Fear early in the run home and came clear to take her feature race victory for the Kiwi bred intermediate graded chasers by 2.25 lengths, posting 30.49s for her 520m assignment.
Nozzno Fear was gallant, very gallant for his trainer Ashley Bradshaw after he jumped quickly from the ace trap to set up the pace. Sure this son of Talk’s Cheap and Hard Habits was always going to find it tough to withstand the challenge that Opawa Plum was going to throw at him however he gamely stuck to his task and he was rewarded with his second placing for doing so.
His litter brother Hard Questions had also got himself in a handy enough early position which suggested he was going to be a post race podium contender which duly occurred when the Gary Cleeve prepared greyhound kicked on resolutely for his third position another 2.75 lengths further behind.
The recipient of the major slice of the Breeders’ bonus payment attached to the NZRS final was deservedly the Opawa Racing team who has made it a healthy habit of picking up breeding bonus for a long time now. For Opawa Plum this was her seventh career win, which now sees her career stake earning sitting at $19,148 (excluding Breeders bonuses) from her 30 races after adding in a further 13 minor placings.
Opawa Plum cruising to her NZRS Graduation victory; with Opawa Racing member Graham Campbell (right) and co-trainer Jean Fahey; Christchurch Club CEO presented the associated trophy to Graham Campbell - pics supplied by Dave Robbie - drobbie@ihug.co.nz – 021 607 869 for all your South Island race photos
By Peter Fenemor
