It was as if the ageless stayer Ring The Bell thought he was in a 295m sprint when he exploded from the Addington 732m eight trap to lead his rivals throughout for his professional 43.20s Christchurch Casino New Zealand Stayers Cup heat win. Dusty Gambler adopted similar pace making tactics when he delivered his bold 43.41s heat win. Pace making 520m wins was also produced in both Barron’s South Island Championship heats.
Pictured: Ring The Bell after winning last year’s Christchurch Casino New Zealand Stayers Cup
The current Christchurch Casino New Zealand Stayers Cup title holder Ring The Bell never gave his heat opponents a look in such was his domination from trap rise. His freewheeling effort saw the Ray Adcock conditioned stayer gapping the other heat contenders as seen by his comfortable 6.5 length winning margin.
It was the Craig Roberts prepared Avenger Bale who did all the hard work in behind the pacemaker as he gamely led the chase after Ring The Bell. He boldly held for his second placing and he had 3.25 lengths to spare over the third placed Goldstar Ashton.
The Steve and Bonnie Evans trained stayer was resolute in the manner that he stuck to his task and deserves his crack at the final, as does the fourth placed Opawa Abby Joy who kicked on stoutly to claim her heat fourth placing for Dave and Jean Fahey another length behind. She relegated the northern Ben Craik trained stayer Trip To Eden back to fifth during the run home, however he won’t be taking his place on the reserves bench as he received an injury related stand down. The Fahey trained heat sixth place getter Vicki Keeping will be the second reserve for the final.
It was a hugely successful day of chasing action for Tirau strike rate conditioner Karen Walsh. Earlier she lined up four greyhounds at her local Cambridge meeting and her kennel hand and the birthday girl Sophie Whitaker returned the quartet home as the winners of their respective races.
Later on down at Addington Walsh boxed away her stayer Dusty Gambler into the two trap. He also came out humming and he stylishly handled his first look at the Addington track when he also dictated the pace throughout to lead his heat rivals home by a 2.5 length margin.
The Fahey’s produced the balance of the qualifiers from this heat with Opawa Tab finishing as the runner up after she chased the pacemaker throughout. Translator kicked on stoutly from the midfield to claim her third a further three quarters of a length behind, while holding at bay the strong finishing Pirate’s Curse by a nose margin. The resilient Southern Lights will occupy the first possie on the reserves bench for Roy Hamilton after his fifth place finish.
Christchurch Casino New Zealand Stayers Cup finalists includes (from left): Avenger Bale, Dusty Gambler; Opawa Tab
Barron’s South Island Championships
There was an early sensation when last year’s Barron’s South Island Championships winner Tom Tee was declared as a late scratching with a gracilis injury. It was Dave & Jean Fahey trained chaser who prevailed in the first of the 520m heats. Fair Pippa, who finished third in last year’s final, will return to contest this year’s final after she delivered her pace making 30.40s heat win.
Her kennelmate Egomaniacal maintained his current solid patch of form to gamely chase after Fair Pippa to claim his second placing three quarters of a length behind her. Umbridge Bale finished solidly for Craig Roberts for his third placing just a further half length back, while there was another 2.5 lengths back to the Ashely Bradshaw prepared fourth place getter Crotty. The warm Roberts trained race favorite Dyna Dave endured a luckless traffic impeded heat outing after being in early strife from trap eight. He’ll be the first reserve for the final.
The second heat was the Roberts and Fahey show as they provided all four qualifiers from it. Dirk Bale made no mistake for Roberts in the second heat as he used his known sharp early pace to deliver his freewheeling heat win. The Auckland Cup winner was never challenged and he completed his heat assignment in 30.20s, holding a 2.5 length winning margin.
It was Panel Beater who kicked on solidly to claim the second placing for the Fahey’s, while the Roberts prepared Rockstar Kobe was a further 1.25 lengths behind in third. Completing the final field make up was the next Fahey trained contender Opawa Timo who was another 2.25 lengths astern. It will be the Mark Robinson trained David’s Legacy who will be the second reserve for the decider.
Barron’s South Island Championships qualifiers include (from left): Fair Pippa; Dirk Bale; Opawa Timo
By Peter Fenemor
