SCST JUN 30 - MUNCE, WOOD AND BELLTONE TEAM UP TO LAND AN HISTORICAL VICTORY

By Graham Potter | Monday, July 2, 2012

Sunshine Coast, June 30, 2012.
Track - Heavy 10. Rail - True.
Reed Property Group Glasshouse Handicap (Quality Listed) - 1400m.
1 Belltone; 2 Jetset Lad; 3 Varenna Miss; 4 Meet George.
Time: 1-27.85. Last 600: 37.50.
Margins: 1.50; 1.00.

The season still officially has a month left to run but Belltone’s sublime victory in the Listed Glasshouse Handicap over 1400m at Corbould Park on Saturday, in which he carried Chris Munce to the rider’s historical one hundredth metropolitan win of the season, somehow provided a resounding rubber stamp on a momentous season for both Munce and trainer Kelso Wood.

The duo have almost been unstoppable in terms of what is reasonably achievable with Munce’s number of victories and Wood’s strike-rate being right out of the top drawer in terms of performance whichever way you care to rate it.

Munce had Belltone right on the heels of the long priced front-runner Sommersea Drive from the break. The gelding comfortably held that position until the field straightened for home at which time Munce confidently gave Belltone more rein.

Belltone responded like the smart horse he is and, quite simply, he left the chasers for dead in the run to the line, leaving them to fight for the scraps of a consolation prize as their race was merely to determine the minor placings.

Munce’s early celebration in the saddle duly cost him $400. He knew he was giving that away when he raised his whip in triumph (against the rules) but it was clearly worth it to him in that it allowed him to give full expression to a highly enjoyable the moment with an exuberant release of emotion. The crowd, who on big race days are largely there for the spectacle as much as the result, responded in kind to Munce’s high spirits and gave him a rousing reception on return to scale.

For trainer Kelso Wood, Belltone’s win was provided further confirmation, not that any was needed, of the fact that Wood is an outstanding trainer of race-horses.

Belltone arrived in Wood’s stable in early 2011 with a record of twelve starts and no wins. Thirteen starts later and Belltone is now an eight-time winner with over $400 000 banked in stake money.

In his first seven starts for Wood Belltone won on six occasions going from a Maiden winner on May 4, 2011 to an Open Handicap winner on September 10, 2011. Not many horses can boast that record in just a short, six month period.

Belltone was unplaced in both starts in her second preparation for the stable when stepping up to Listed and Group 3 company.

After a five month break, Belltone returned to action during the carnival on May 19 with a fifth placing, only half-a-length behind Tiger Tees in the Group 3 BRC Darley Sprint. He followed that up with a second place, finishing 1.30 lengths behind Celtic Dancer in the QTC Cup and he has now completed back to back Listed race wins in the Eye Liner at Ipswich and the Glasshouse at Coloundra.

As a rising seven-year-old, the rate of continued improvement might have a question mark behind it, but this is the Kelso Wood stable we are talking about and if he’s judgment is that the horse is good enough to go south with his stable star Sizzling, few will argue the point!

Belltone is owned by the Mcphee Racing Syndicate.
The six-year-old gelding is by Brahms (USA) out of the Salieri (USA) mare Blue Salieri.
Belltone race record reads: 8 wins; 9 places; $412 650.00 in stakes.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Kelso Wood: “When he went bowling along up outside the leader I knew they were never going to beat him. He is such a lovely horse.

"I'll have to sit down and work out a program for him but I definitely think he can measure up in a good race down south.

"He's so relaxed, I think he'll handle 2000m in the future.”

Jockey Chris Munce: “You know you start here as a kid … when I first started off I started here with 3kg and we had a lot of good times and a bit of fun up here, so it’s good to be able to get to one hundred winners here at Coloundra.

“The reception I got from the crowd coming back to scale was great.

“It is very humbling, you know. It’s been a lot of hard work during the year, but it’s all paid off.

“It's something that will be there for a long time. Until the next bloke comes along and rides more than 100 winners ... well, good luck to them, but I know what it takes to do it.

“It's a lot of hard work … a lot of rides. There's more to it than just turning up on race day and riding a winner. There's a lot of work that happens behind the scenes, riding trackwork and trials.

"But at the end of the day it's all worthwhile.

“To do it on a horse for Kelso made it even more satisfying. Kelso has done a fantastic job with Belltone. As everybody knows he has brought him from a maiden horse to win this race now.

“He is a great trainer. He is a great horseman and that’s why he is a deserved winner today.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Belltone): 3.20 out to 4.00 in to 3.80.
Favourite (Jetset Lad): 3.00 out to 3.40. Finished second

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Varenna Miss (J. Byrne) had to be re-saddled after arriving at the barriers.

Jetset Lad (S. Galloway) had difficulty securing clear running in the home straight until approaching the 300m.

A post-race veterinary examination of Machination (A. Spinks) failed to reveal any abnormalities.

C. Munce (Belltone) was fined $400 for making celebratory gesture prior to passing the winning post.

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