Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Fifteen years ago, Ryan Bell gave a copybook exhibition in the sulky to land the $85.80 rank outsider Centrefold Angel a thrilling winner over the $1.80 favourite Batavia Touchngo in the $100,00 group 1 Diamond Classic at Gloucester Park.
And on Friday night this week he will be a somewhat nervous but quietly confident onlooker as the two two-year-old fillies he trains — Bettagetonpip and Copper Head Lady — clash in the $50,000 group 2 Trotsynd Diamond Classic over 2130m.
Bettagetonpip has drawn perfectly at barrier one, while Copper Head Lady will start from the favourable No. 2 barrier. These two WA-bred fillies are expected to dominate betting on the race, with Bell giving both an excellent chance of winning.
Ryan Warwick will drive Bettagetonpip, and Aiden De Campo will handle Copper Head Lady. Warwick has won the Diamond Classic with In The Spotlight in 2021, and De Campo was successful behind Tricky Styx in 2014.
Warwick has unhappy memories of his first drive in a Diamond Classic final, in June 2005 when he handled heat winner Spirit Of Navajo, who hung out badly on the first turn and broke into a fierce gallop before being retired. Two years later he finished a neck behind Ruby Dazzler with Apache Sunrise.
Copper Head Lady, a brilliant heat winner last Monday week, is the fifth foal out of Artistic Copper, who shone as a two-year-old in 2013 when she won the group 1 Sales Classic but then did not contest the Diamond Classic two months later.
Artistic Copper’s first foal Some Copper Beach was driven by De Campo when she finished sixth in the 2019 Diamond Classic. Her third foal Artistic Scribe, driven by De Campo, was ninth in the 2021 Diamond Classic, and De Campo has high hopes that Artistic Copper’s fifth foal Copper Head Lady will win the big race this week.
“Bettagetonpip and Copper Head Lady have come on well since winning their qualifying heats (on Monday of last week) and they should perform strongly,” said Bell.
Bettagetonpip set the pace from barrier two in her heat and beat Queen Of All, while Copper Head Lady impressed when she raced in sixth position, one-out and two back before starting a three-wide move 750m from home and sustaining a powerful burst to get to the front on the home turn and then race away and win by two lengths from Ruby Lovera.
“Copper Head Lady is a versatile filly, and from barrier two she won’t have to do too much work to hold her position, said De Campo. “She has come from behind in each of her three wins, and if she gets a bit of luck, she will definitely be in it.”
Bell said he found it extremely difficult to split his two runners, saying: “I’m pretty sure that Bettagetonpip has enough speed to get to the lead. It will be up to Curley (Warwick) how he drives her. She is a bit one dimensional, compared with Copper Head Lady.
“Bettagetonpip will be hard to beat if she leads but if Copper Head Lady sets the pace, I don’t think she will be beaten.”
Queen Of All has been driven by De Campo at her two most recent starts for second placings behind Captainshavtime and Bettagetonpip. She is prepared by Katja Warwick, who trained Askmeilltellya for her Diamond Classic victory in 2019.
Warwick has engaged Chris Voak to drive Queen Of All, who is awkwardly drawn out wide at barrier seven. “She has trained on very well since her run in the heat, and she is ready for the race, but not ready for the draw,” she said.
Reinette, winner of the third qualifying heat for trainer Frank Nafranec and reinsman Trent Wheeler, faces a tough task from the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line in the final.
Reinette trailed the pacemaker Winter Wonder before finishing strongly to beat that filly in her heat. Winter Wonder, to be driven by Maddison Brown for trainer Justin Prentice, who will also be represented in the final with Ruby Lovera, to be driven by Kyle Harper from barrier four.
Ruby Lovera covered extra ground early in her heat before gaining a good passage, one-out and one-back, and then finishing solidly to be second to Copper Head Lady in the second qualifying heat.
Prentice, who is in Sydney with his star pacer Never Ending, has trained the winner of three Diamond Classics — scoring with Lady Luca (2016), Majorpride (2018) and Always An Angel (2020).
The Michael Young-trained Jaxs Ideal, who has been placed at five of her nine starts, will be driven by Shannon Suvaljko from the inside of the back line. She should enjoy an ideal passage and is capable of figuring in the finish.