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BROWNIE'S BLOG: A FINAL FAREWELL TO TIM BEFORE THE SHOW GOES ON & I HEAD TO PERTH FOR GROUP 1 ACTION

By Damian Browne | Friday, November 20, 2015

Damian Browne is rated right up there with the best jockeys in Australia. After severe injury setbacks this multiple Group 1 winning jockey has fought back against the odds to establish a solid reputation both as a person and as a rider, where he has built an enviable race record largely courtesy of his exceptional expertise as a horseman. Damian’s column, ‘Brownies Blog’ appears exclusively on HRO

It’s been a really challenging week with regard to the way in which the industry said its final, official farewells to Tim Bell.

A group of Tim’s Brisbane colleagues took a bus down to Narrabri on Monday. It was quite a trip in more ways than one ... not least in terms of time (the bus left at 3am and got back at 11.30pm).

I can tell you I don’t mind if I never take a bus trip for a long time, but the fact was that everybody who possibly could be there wanted to be there to pay their respects to Tim.

Narrabri, Tim’s home town, is a fairly remote place but the turnout down there for his funeral on Monday was just unbelievable.

It probably doubled the population for the day which just highlighted his popularity and I’m sure the turnout gave some comfort, as far as it could, to Tim’s family.

Thursday’s celebration of Tim’s life at Doomben, again had a good turnout.

Amongst others, Michael Cahill, Ryan Wiggins and I each gave a short speech remembering Tim from our own personal perspective but I think a very emotional Kelly Schweida probably put it best and spoke for everybody when he said, “I don’t want to be sad forever but, Tim, you will always be in my heart.”

When Kelly spoke there was hardly a dry eye in the place.

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But, as always, the show goes on. I leave today for Perth heading for two Group 1 rides at Ascot tomorrow on Buffering in the Winterbottom Stakes and Messene, for the Hawkes team, in the Railway Stakes.

It could be a big day with a bit of luck.

The last time I went to Perth with Buff was in 2013. That produced the good and the bad all wrapped up in one, I guess.

It was great for Buffering to win the Winterbottom that year but the after-effects (I received a suspension and a hefty fine for the ride) certainly took their toll.

In 2013 Buffering obviously did some very hard racing leading into the Winterbottom ... the Moir, the Manikato and the VRC Sprint ... which probably were his three career best runs.

The Winterbottom ultimately produced Buffering’s third Group 1 win in a thirty day period but I did think that he was just a little bit jaded on the day over there and it was just his class and guts that got him home.

He’s had to deal with the long trip again and the hot weather so it’s going to be interesting this time around to see just how he is ... how he is feeling.

I probably won’t know until I go around to the start whether the trip and the work he has done this season has taken its toll or whether the enthusiasm is still there ... which is obviously what we are hoping for.

Some things you can only find out on race-day but Buffering has made a habit of defying the odds ... showing what a special racehorse he is.

It is a big field for the Winterbottom ... the bigger the field the better for us as far as I’m concerned.

It does mean there is more to beat but it helps us in terms of the fact we should have the speed to clear any traffic problems possibly leaving other runners to deal with any difficulties that may arise as the race unfolds.

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I couldn’t have been happier with Buffering’s effort last time in the Darley Classic. He ran super.

I mean if you take out the winner he’s only been beaten less than half a length by arguably the two best sprinters in the world. (Chautauqua and Terravista).

I said it a couple of times recently that, since he’s come back from a layoff he seems to have a renewed spring in his step and a love for racing. He has come back a happy horse and is really enjoying it.

All the signs are positive.

This time last year we were preparing to tackle Hong Kong and who knew what the future held beyond that.

Fair to say he has exceeded all expectations.

Whatever the outcome, Buffering is set to break Niconera’s record tomorrow when he races in Group 1 company for the thirtieth time ... more than any other horse in Australia in the last decade.

That is no mean feat.

If he could win it would make that achievement even more extraordinary.

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Damian Browne
Damian Browne
Tim Bell
Tim Bell
Kelly Schweida

Photos: Graham Potter
Kelly Schweida

Photos: Graham Potter
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