GOLD BELL PROGENY

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 572, 26 January 1929, Page 11

GOLD BELL PROGENY

GOLD JACKET AND ALL BELL CHRISTMAS SUCCESSES THE ABBEY IS A HIGH CLASS PACER T’llE splendid achievement of Gold Jacket in winning the Auckland Cup and the prominent running of All Bell - over ten and sixteen furlongs at the same fixture was a further tribute to the splendid ability of Gold Bell as a sire of light harness horses.

/■toLD BELL, bred in laui by Dougtf las McLean, ot' Maraekakaho, is of Capitalist (Rothschild —Berlin \taid), and Merry Bell (Ha Ha—SU- ' , r Bell), and was well gifted with , l best blood of the day, being connected with such aristocratic lineage . Childe Harold, Belle Brigs (a grand riaukhter of Hambletonian 10), Berlin. Mambrino and Blackwood Abdallah. «!ho also has a big percentage of the foundation trotting strain of the ‘ l-hty Hambletonian 10. \lthough Gold Bell took up stud /lilies when good brood mares were •\«r and far between, the son of Capitalist proved himself a high-class sire, d on 6 often wonders had he been er _ a, chance of mating with the

-blue bloods’ what sort of champions he would have produced. A Fine Record Gold Bell has given to the trotting mrf even with his restricted opportunities, some great performers, and the achievements of Gold Boy, Gold Giri Steel Bell. Nita Bell, All Bell, Gold Jacket and The Abbey, to mention just a few, are sufficient to make the name of Tom Roe s horse live a long time in the annals of (New Zealand light-harness history. His name was brought very much into the limelight during the Auckland Christmas carnival, where live of his sons, Gold Jacket. All Bell, The Abbey. Gold Star and Gold Sovereign, won races. These performances again demonstrate the fact that the Gold Bell’s improve with age. and also that they possess great vitality. The old general, who is still hale and heartv, is doing splendid service as a sire in the Manawatu district for the well-known enthusiast. Bill Oliver. _ All Bell s Career When Geo. Paton secured an 18-months-old gelding by Gold Bell from Agneta, about a dozen years ago, for something in the vicinity of thirty pounds, he did not make a bad bargain, as the youngster developed into a promising pacer, and became known to admirers and followers of the sport as All Bell. While now in his thirteenth year, the pacer is still going strong, and that he is capable of winning races in his advanced years was forcibly demonstrated during -he recent Christmas carnival at Alexandra Park. When a three-year-old, the son of Gold Bell was trained in Canterbury by A Fleming, and associated with / the pacer in his work was Jack Shaw, the well-known local mentor, who at that period was in the Southerner’s employ. All Bell’s initial sue-, cess was achieved in the Maturity Stakes at the Canterbury Park winter fixture of 1919. Consistent Year As a four-year-old Clold Bell’s son faced the music on 11 occasions, his record of placings being two firsts, three seconds and a third. The next term he continued to race consistently into minor -placings, but eventually landed a 10-furlong heat for E. McDermott, registering 2.46 2-5 for the journey. All Bell’s best performance as a six-year-old was in the Waikato Cup. in which he was on the end (4.37). and he passed the post a. good winner in 4.31, being followed home by Comedy Chief (72yds) and Taraire < 12yds). Later, with Geo. Paton on his back, the sturdy pacer registered a tick over 2.12 for an eight-furlong victory, and the next season he was again taken to the Canterbury’ Park fixture, where he captured a two-mile event. During the 1925-26 year, after several placings Paton’s pacer pulled out another good effort over the longer distance, and the season following, after being given a good spell, All Bell was taken in hand by W. Cockbill, who succeeded in capturing a mile heat at Epsom in a classy field, his charge returning a fine doublefigure dividend. When tho All Bell gelding went into retirement at the end of last season it was generally conceded that he ' v as past his stage of usefulness, but with only a couple of runs prior to the Auckland spring carnival. GPaton stepped tho old elm’? out again and he put up a creditable showing at a mile, dead-heating with Ludy Dunmore for second berth behind Jackie Audubon. W. CockbiM’s Success Bill Cockbill then decided to have another fly with All Bell, and gave him a preparation for the Christmas carnival, where he produced the aged adding in capital trim. In the ocliers Handicap he gave backers of favourite, King Poirter, a big ‘right, being onlv topped off i° Jhe last stride, but the next time out he brought good cheer to the hearts his party by cleaning up the opposition in the two-mile Dominion Handicap, again returning a handsome double-figure price. The olda^er ran a game, honest race, and l h© judicious manner in which driver

Cockbill handled the reins was a big toward the gelding's success. Bill and All Bell are a good combination, and appear to understand each other thoroughly, and as they are still associated at Alexandra Park, there is every reason to believe that All Bell will add further to his splendid record of successes before he finally gives up the game for keeps. Gold Jacket’s Rise to Fame It was the same George Paton that set the now brilliant Gold Jacket on his way to success. That was when the black son of Gold Bell and Lady S. was in his fifth year, and the outing took place at the Northland meeting of 1926. Gold Jacket was on the front of a 2.26 mile saddle item, and with his owner-trainer on deck, the pacer gave a real taste of his quality by winning in 2.17 1-5. The following spring, at the Otahuhu fixture, George swooped down on Alexandra. Park for another saddle coup, and while the Gold Bell gelding further improved his time to 2.16, he was beaten into third place by Anselm and Final McKinney. Shortly afterwards Gold Jacket was purchased by his present owner, Ted Parkes. for £3O), and in the Parnell sportsman’s colours he has achieved wonderful success and distinction. Showing Staying Ability Gold Jacket went into Harry Kinnimont’s stable, and under his supervision the pacer soon showed he possessed stamina as well as speed. After securing a third prize over two miles at the Waikato meeting, and recording 4.33 2-5 from a 4.40 mark (the races were held at Epsom), fCinnimont took Gold Bell’s son to Thames, where he won the 1927 Cup in a manner that demonstrated he was a good one in the making. In the spring of that year Gold Jacket developed a wonderful burst of speed, and on more than one occasion made the sparks fly at Alexandra Park when stepped out over a mile. Early in 1928 the improving black was taken over by L. McMahon, and after being just beaten in a saddle heat at the Otahuhu summer fixture by Luvan., Gold Jacket commenced a remarkable trot, which carried him successfully through Thames, Hawera, Addington, and Alexandra Park, till he reached the high-water mark at Christmas by securing the big end of the purse and the handsome gold trophy in the Auckland Cup. A ROYAL TROT Last March Gold Jacket, with Andy Bryce as his pilot, again captured tne Thames Cup of 4.37. going 4.3 j. Me was then taken to Hawera. where oil;

GOLD BELL 4 35 he won the Cup on Easter Satui- ,°„ n to 4 ' 3 iecond d » a Vi 4fi n |es h he W won ike Mark Memorial Handicap at the Auckland winter fixlime and then made his first appearance aldington £ August. He^as lucky Cfiough o n s made Wm tramp orbet Jr to win, the heavy! the -me Parkes. gelding won handsomely A , ex;mdm Rark’in the spring, Gold Jacket missed off 4.2?. but'on the second day made L-Il.ffwene framed for the Auckland

Cup, L. McMahon’s charge was again on 4.26, and it is now a question of history how he set the seal on his fame as a brilliant pacer by landing the rich stake. _ , Another good effort was recorded when Gold Jacket finished third to Prince Pointer and Kohara in the memorable finish of the Champion Handicap, but tho hard races had got to the bottom of the Gold Bell gelding, as he failed to go kindly in the big event on the concluding day. Gold Jacket is now enjoying a well-earned holiday, and it is quite on the cards that ho will later receive a sound pre-

paration at McMahon’s hands in an endeavour to capture the 1929 New Zealand Cup, which, all going well in the interim, is within his capabilities.

THE ABBEY WILL BE CUP CLASS

While the sensation caused some time back ’over the ownership of The Abbey caused him to be very much in the limelight, the subsequent achievements of the Gold Bell gelding have brought him well to the forefront of the Dominion’s handicap pacers. The earlier history of the chestnut son of Gold Bell and The Abess is now so well known that it does not require repetition at this stage, and it was not until Bert Adams won a double at the Manawatu fixture last March that the pacer attracted much attention. On that occasion The Abbey won a mile and a-half neat off 3.45, beating a promising sort in Native Hero, and registering 3.36 from a 3.45 mark. Penalised in the two-mile heat from 4.56 to 4.52, the son of Gold Bell won comfortably in 4.49 2-5. After failing on the opening day of the Wanganui fixture, held three weeks _ later, when on 4.50, Adams succeeded in getting him home on the second day in a similar race, in which a time improvement was made, to 4.43 3-5, and a good three-year-old in Derby Lynn, in receipt of 48 yds, was defeated. Winding the Watch When The Abbey was purchased by Mr. M. Moodabe early this season, it did not take trainer J. Shaw long to find out his capabilities, and after strolling home in the Whangarei Cup. the chestnut visited Addington, wl }ere he won over two miles off 4.39 m 4—9. But it was in the Courtenay Handicap on tho second day that he gave a display that greatly impressed “Abaydos and in which he showed that one ot hese days he will reach the highes rung of the ladder. In the event in question The Abbey was in front from the start to 100 yards from home, where that remarkably good four-yeai-old Kingcraft got to him, and then the wonder horse, Author Jrnks, 3°‘“ ea R “. The Abbey hung on with the Gold Bell determniation, to be beaten into *hi d place at the post, but the effort stamped him as a good one. Recently the promising pacer again changed hands, Mrs. McGregoi, wn was part owner of the. great sprinter Nelson Fame, securing him, and be passed into Bill Clifton’s stable. After refusing to go away correctly in the first and second days, The A, ? be y the peg in good style on the final day in tho New Year Handicap, which,he won in fine stvle, showing a splendid burst of speed over the last The gelding is still in steady work at Epsom, and it is quite on the caids that his next outing will be In th otahuhu Cup, in which he is sure to make his presence felt, while next season Twill be surprising if he does not reach New Zealand and Auckland Cup company.