Bells Fair Ends The Year On A Bathurst High
A big crowd turned out for Bathurst's traditional Boxing Night meeting which was lucky to go ahead
after wild thunderstorms caused the track to be washed away four times in a week.
The Bathurst Club offer many thanks thanks to all the volunteers who helped out shovelling sand (including on Christmas Day) and had the track in top order with several fast times being registered.
Rob Shepherd of Freeman's Reach claimed training honours with a winning double. Gonzo Conquest took out the Fish & Sons Produce Xmas Gift Final with a near all the way effort in a slick 17.87. Magic Mirage finished second just over two lengths behind with a similar margin back to Fair Collision who grabbed third spot.
In the opening race on the eleven race card Loyal Conquest surprised most with a fast 26.02 maiden success holding off the heavily backed Bells Report by half a length.
Promising youngster Bells Pace set the time standard with a flying 25.88in the final heat of the Bathurst Trophies & Gifts New Years Gift. Trained locally by Kevin Pearce the son of Elite State and Agreement trailed pacemaker Simple As That to the half way mark before powering away for a five length victory with Your So Vane.
Spring Creek gave her rivals a galloping lesson in the first run-off easily accounting for On My Mind and Hear No Evil in a slick 26.03.
Lidsdale couple Mick Glasson & Kim Hyde were celebrating when She's The Goodes snared the $2,000 jackpot pool in registering her second win on end downing Stella Starlight and Big Toll in heat 2 clocking 26.26.
Tittle Tat, a litter-mate to She's The Goodes, scored a nippy 17.94 win on debut for St. Mary's conditioner Alan Campbell and it appears that the members of the Trewly Special X Tell Tall Tails mating have above average ability.
Newly crowned Bathurst GOTY Bells Fair capped off a stellar year with another near record romp of 17.57 in the 307m Free For All defeating Captain Teddy by five lengths with veteran Earllee in third. During 2008 Bells Fair racked up 26 wins for Mount Lambie mentor Mark Vella including 16 from 23 at Kennerson Park.
High Five Flyer continued Earl Anderson's terrific run of success over the past 18 months with a strong finishing 18.07 win in defeating Almost Invisible and Scandalous Miss.
Back To School proved too strong for It's All Blue and Kara's Princess in the Siska Lodge Encourage over 618 metres posting 36.90 for Emu Plains trainer Paul Hubbard.
The Les Whitton prepared Five Shots put her best paw forward and was never headed in scoring a 26.13 victory over Gandhi's heart and How Convenient with the margins being three lengths each way.
Another Lidsdale based mentor Brett Bowerman led in the winner of the last when Fast Andy accounted for PatThe Leopard and Myalla Betsy in a nippy 17.89.