The classy stayer Ring The Bell is embarking on a hit and run mission to Melbourne next week. He has been allocated a final field position in the rich Topgun Stayers Invitation at The Meadows track on Saturday week.
Pictured: Ring The Bell seen here delivering his powerful Plasterboard Duke Of Edinburgh Silver Collar victory (pic Trish Dunnell)
His confirmation to take part in the A$75,000 to the winner 725m staying event was revealed during the screening of this week’s Sky Racing’s Catching Pen greyhound program. Both program hosts Dave Carlson and James Van De Maat strongly endorsed Ring The Bell’s field selection, mentioning that Ring The Bell finished second in last year’s edition of this race to his again race rival here Burn One Down. “Ring The Bell was a walk-in into the Topgun Stayers field,” they commented.
Ring The Bell will fly to Melbourne on Monday and he’ll go into the Victorian kennels of his “caretaker” trainer Gerry O’Keefe who was his previous mentor up to his Plasterboard Duke Of Edinburgh Silver Collar success after which he transferred into the care of the GRNZ Hall of Fame conditioner Ray Adcock.
We don’t need to document the incredible success that Adcock has trained Disco (kennel name) to since then over here, except to say that Ring The Bell goes back to his homeland as the winner of 14 of his 16 New Zealand races.
“I feel I have turned him into a real hard chaser now – the handlers have a real hard job getting him off the lure. We saw that when he won his 520m race here last week. My main concern for him over there is that he’s likely to go charging hard into the catching pen wall as he is now used to our finish-on-lure system. I wish them well for his assignment over there and I can’t wait for his return.
“You can mention that Ray Adcock hopes Disco enjoys being back in the hands of Mr. O’Keefe over there for a week,” said Adcock, who has intentions of lining Ring The Bell up in a heat for the $100,000 Christchurch Casino New Zealand Cup (2 November).
Gerry O’Keefe is looking forward to Ring The Bell’s return for his mission advising via email, “I am delighted that the great stayer Ring The Bell has a chance at racing greatness if he happens to win the Topgun Stayers – Fanta Bale and Burn One Down included. The Topgun at The Meadows is the pinnacle of greyhound racing world wide for both the sprinters and stayers.
“My view is that Disco is racing for and representing Ray Adcock and the whole of New Zealand. Ring The Bell has been fully embraced by all NZ greyhound followers. In my opinion he is a fully fledged Kiwi.
“Disco arrives next Monday and he will have a run up our straight on Wednesday…..can we please have a close to the rails box draw in the Topgun Stayers – box 1, 2 or 3 would be great. The plan is to fly him back to Christchurch on the Tuesday after the Topgun – back into the loving arms of Ray Adcock for all his future racing,” added O’Keefe.
The box draw for the Topgun Stayers, plus also the rich A$150,000 to the winner Topgun Sprint (525m) will be conducted during The Meadows meeting this Saturday evening. As mentioned by O’Keefe an inside trap for Ring The Bell will be absolutely ideal after he ran second in last year’s version from trap five.
We’ll take a look at the field next week after the draw has been completed, including some of Ring The Bell’s star studded opponents, which aside from Burn One Down also includes the current low flying Robbie Britton trained stayer Fanta Bale. She will become the third millionaire earning Australian greyhound if she prevails in this event.
The Topgun Stayers field as announced on the Catching Pen (interestingly they have Gerry O’Keefe listed as the trainer, whereas the GRV website lists Raymond H Adcock as his trainer); Ring The Bell with Ray Adcock and handler Jordon Bryce following his NZ Stayers Cup win; Ring The Bell annihilating the Forbury Park 770m track record when delivering his slick 46.28s time (pic Luana Robbie)
Pawnote: Ring The Bell has been listed as a clear third favourite in the pre-box draw market released by the Victorian TAB. Disco is being quoted at $7 to win and $1.82 to place. Understandably Fanta Bale opens at $2.20 & $1.16, while Burn One Down is being offered at $2.40 & $1.19.
By Peter Fenemor
