Bellas Delight
Talented Victorian teenage reinsman Zac Phillips will make a lightning hit-run trip to Perth this week in a bid to win the $40,000 McInerney Ford Focus Norm’s Daughter Classic at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The 18-year-old Phillips will arrive in Perth on Friday morning to handle the brilliant Victorian mare Bellas Delight in the group 3 feature event over 1730m before rushing back to Melbourne to drive at the Cranbourne meeting on Saturday night.
Bellas Delight certainly has the credentials to fully extend her West Australian-trained rivals, including Libertybelle Midfrew, Sensational Gabby, Leda McNally, Dontdoubtme and Majorly Foxy Styx.
The seven-year-old has won three group 1 features at Melton and has also been placed third in two other group 1 events. She warmed up for her first appearance in WA with stylish victories at Melton at her past two starts.
Bellas Delight arrived in Perth by air last Friday and she has settled in without any problems at the Railton stables of Gary Elson. She has pleased Paul Males, husband of the mare’s trainer Kari.
The major concern for Males is that Bellas Delight has drawn the inside barrier on the back line. A possible scenario is that Bellas Delight could be hemmed in on the pegs and not be able to get a clear run in the final circuit over the sprint journey.
“She hasn’t been on the track (Gloucester Park) before, so it might be a good spot,” Males said. “I have been informed that the polemarker Deluxe Edition gets out pretty quickly. There should be a fair bit of speed on.
“Our hands are pretty well tied from the inside of the back line. You can’t pull back over 1730m. So we’ll probably just have to stay there (on the pegs) and hope for luck. Bellas Delight is very versatile. You can do anything with her. She can sit, she can lead, and she can do it tough.
“She didn’t do a lot the first couple of days over here. But she fast-worked today (Tuesday) really well. I drove her on Gary’s 1030m track and Gary drove Reuben Brogden, who set the pace. Bellas Delight finished strongly to end the workout on terms with Reuben Brogden. It was a good effort.”
Males was full of praise for Bellas Delight’s past two runs at Melton when the mare won over 2240m at a 1.56.3 rate and was successful over 1720m, rating 1.54.3.
“Two runs ago (on October 31) she did all the work and sat outside the leader and at her latest outing (November 7) they really poured on the pressure and she locked wheels at the top of the straight. I thought she couldn’t win, but she ended up unlocking wheels and motored to the line.”
Bellas Delight has had four starts in her current campaign after being off the scene for 12 months.
“She had to have an operation on her offside front leg,” Males said. “She was getting fluid in between her annular ligament and her tendon and this was squashing her tendon. She was never lame, but the vets cut the annular ligament and this took the pressure off. The operation has been a complete success and the mare is back in fine form.”
Bellas Delight was most impressive at her most recent outing. She raced in the one-out, one-back position before Greg Sugars switched her three wide 600m from home. She recovered after locking sulky wheels with Centonic on the home turn and finished brilliantly to win from Kamwood Jack. After the first two 400m sections of the final mile in 29.7sec. and 29.3sec., the last quarters whizzed by in 28.2sec. and 27.7sec.
This latest victory took Bellas Delight’s record to 18 wins and 14 placings from 49 starts for earnings of $392,905. After being placed once from six starts as a two-year-old she blossomed to be a dominant performer as a three-year-old when she had 14 starts for six wins, five seconds and two thirds.
Her victories as a three-year-old filly included the group 1 Vicbred Super Series and the group 1 Australasian Breeders Crown. As a four-year-old she had ten starts for eight wins and two placings. These included the group 1 Vicbred Super Series when she raced four wide in the middle stages and then without a trail.
Driving Bellas Delight on Friday night will be just a part of a very busy week for Phillips. He had one drive at Geelong on Tuesday night for a strong-finishing win behind 15/4 chance Stunning Jasper in a 2570m standing-start event for square gaiters.
He then has six driving engagements at Mildura on Wednesday night and two at Kilmore on Thursday night. After Friday night’s Gloucester Park meeting when he will also drive Reuben Brogden for Elson in the 2130m McInerney Ford New Mustang Pace, he will dash back to Melbourne to drive at the Cranbourne meeting on Saturday night.
Phillips, who started driving in races as a 16-year-old, notched his 100th winner when 11/2 chance Lis Mara Shadow finished boldly from four back on the pegs to defeat Darcy Tee by three lengths in a $10,250 event for four-year-olds.
He is looking forward to his first visit to Western Australia and has high hopes that Bellas Delight will bring up a hat-trick of wins.
“She is as strong as the day is long,” he said. “She has really come of age this time in and seems to be getting better and better. She has been super at her past two runs.”
Bellas Delight is the oldest runner in Friday night’s race in which four-year-olds Libertybelle Midfrew, Majorly Foxy Styx and Dontdoubtme will have many admirers. They are in top form and will be fancied by many punters to prove too speedy off the front line for outstanding six-year-olds Sensational Gabby and Leda McNally, who will start from the back line.