Virtual Kennel: She's A River and she must be followed

General / Editor / 30 July 2009 / Leave a Comment

The Hawk casts his beady eye over two more additions to the virtual kennel...

Bellpac Gemma

This diminutive bitch is contesting A2's at Newcastle at present, and has only won one in 10 of those graded races at the track. But her turn to win one of these races must not be far away following yet another eye catching run in that grade earlier this week.

The April 2007 whelp has been well supported for her last four A2 races going off favourite for each one at course odds of 2/1, evens, 7/4 and last Monday at 5/2.

Drawn in trap four, as she has been for each of her last four runs, she is always going to need racing room approaching the first bend, as any crowding will almost certainly cause her problems being relatively small. But if granted a clear around the first two bends she has shown enough late speed to suggest that she will be adding to her six successes at the track. All told she has won 24% of her races at the North East track, and although never likely to catch the all the way winner last time, she showed admirable battling skills last time out to finish a distant runner up having missed the break and been rather muscled out of things at the first turn.

She isn't usually as slow from the traps as she was on Monday, and if she had started in her normal way she may have well turned second - if that had happened she probably would have won as she made six lengths up on the leader from mid way down the back straight to the finishing line.

I would like to see her housed in the white jacket inside two wides in an ideal World, but whatever the make up of her next race I suggest that she is followed.

Bellpac Gemma A2 Newcastle

She's A River

Two months ago this January 2008 whelp was running in A4 company at Colwick Park, but on Monday night the black bitch made a pleasing debut in top grade at Nottingham. An unconsidered 6/1 shot on track she only went down by 1/2 length in the end to the 5/4 favourite and on this evidence alone will not be long in winning an A1 there.

She's only had seven races at the track winning three of them and finishing runner up in a further two. And she has the added bonus of being able to do it both ways - she has shown early speed and led all the way and she has come off from behind to pick things up at the fourth bend.

Last time she had a clear run and recorded a personal best of 30.69 from trap three, but she has won in the blue jacket as well.

She must be followed next time, as long as boxed in two or three.

She's A River A1 Nottingham