Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Serpentine trainer-reinsman Dylan Egerton-Green’s plans of an all-the-way win with Bellezza Nera in the 1730m Royal Show Ribbons Weewah Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night were thrown out the window when the gelding was beaten for early speed.
But Plan B kicked in, and Egerton-Green enjoyed an ideal passage in the one-out, one-back position before getting Bellezza Nera, the $3.50 second favourite, home in a thrilling finish, beating the $7 pacemaker Tantabiddi by a head, with $18 chance High Price flying home from eighth at the bell and finishing a half-head away in third place.
Soho Bollinger, the $2.50 favourite, began speedily from barrier five but was unable to cross Tantabiddi, who was smartest into stride from the No. 3 barrier.
Soho Bollinger then raced in the breeze, and after the final quarters were run in 27.8sec. and 28.8sec. the six-year-old wilted to finish seventh.
Bellezza Nera was eased out, three wide, 250m from home and finished determinedly to get up in the final couple of strides, rating 1.54.9.
“I probably carved him up early when I thought I would lead,” said Egerton-Green. “But he didn’t get out as good as he usually does, and so then it was Plan B and I was able to get the ideal passage, one-out and one-back.”
Bellezza Nera, who ended a losing sequence of seven, is by Rock N Roll Heaven and is the second foal out of the New Zealand-bred mare Elena S, who was retired with a record of 59 starts for nine wins, 20 placings and $97,549. Her final seven wins were in WA for trainer-reinsman Grant Williams.
Elena S’s first foal Major Pocket raced 173 times for 29 wins, 69 placings and $388,236. He won at his first two starts, at Pinjarra and Bunbury as a two-year-old in 2016 before finishing second to The Real Ideal in the Group 1 Westbred Classic for two-year-old colts and geldings and second to Mitch Maguire in the Pearl Classic. He travelled to America in December 2019 and won another 16 races before being retired.