Pictured: Ring The Bell following his Nancy Cobain Memorial heat win (pic by Georgie Clark)

Ring The Bell quickly seized the race lead after jumping from the eight trap, put a break on his opponents rounding the first turn. From there he cruised clear for his effortless 15.75 length win which saw the Ray Adcock prepared stayer helping himself to his second track record when clocking 38.45s.

Yes, there was carnage on that first turn, resulting in a number of the depleted six dog field losing all claims. Slipping clear of the melee was the Bill Hodgson locally trained Molly O’Shea who gamely chased after the tearaway pacemaker and she was rewarded with a place in Monday’s Group 2 final when holding on for her second.

Charging late at her to finish a length further behind was Goldstar Avery from the Steve and Bonnie Evans kennels. She held a 3.5 length margin over her kennelmate Opawa Cheviot who was badly impeded in that first turn incident.

Onto heat two which featured the presence of the just removed Manawatu 660m track record holder Thrilling Flo who had held the standard at 38.46s. She also jumped straight into the race lead to build a healthy margin when heading down the back straight.

Rapidly closing in on her was another Hodgson trained stayer in Nitehawk Rose. She gained on the pacemaker with every stride up the big, long home straight, however Thrilling Flo gamely hung on to nail her heat win by a neck. She returned 38.85s for her gallop.

The Matt Roberts trained Cawbourne Buckle kicked on stoutly for her third placing a further four lengths behind, while Little Bit Funny from the Dave and Jean Fahey kennels arrived home another 8.25 lengths back in fourth.

There was a fair amount of anticipation surrounding the third and final heat. Travelling north from the Fahey kennels was the inform Addington 645m performer Runway Bono. Lining up for his first staying assignment was the winner of his nine from nine 457m races on this track Thrilling Raider for Walsh. The proven locally prepared stayer Bradam Begins from the Angela Turnwald kennels was also engaged in this heat.

It was Thrilling Raider who led out, with Bradam Begins dropping in behind him. Runway Bono had pushed forward from his wide trap to stalk this pair. That order remained fairly much the same until they turned into the home straight where the action really unfolded.

Runway Bono dug into his staying reserves to mount a sustained finish which ultimately carried him to his stylish 39.05s heat win. Bradam Begins maintained his solid gallop to secure the runner-up possie 3.5 lengths astern, while holding a 1.75 length margin over Thrilling Raider. There was another 1.25 lengths back to the fourth placed runner Pacific Sunrise for Marcie Flipp.

  
The three Manawatu hosted Nancy Cobain Memorial heat post race podiums headed by (from left): Ring The Bell; Thrilling Flo; Runway Bono (pics by Georgie Clark)

By Peter Fenemor