Racing: Superstitious owner misses Classic victory

Bella Renza (6) beats Spirits Bay and Attalla in the Westbury Classic at Ellerslie yesterday. Photo / Dean Purcell

Denise Howell thought she would put the jinx on Bella Renza in yesterday's $55,000 Westbury Classic if she made the trip to Ellerslie.

The administration manager for the Rogerson/Lucock/Bergerson stable is a rare visitor to the races when her horses are competing.

Scott Lucock tried desperately to talk Howell into attending.

"I'll jinx it," she said yesterday morning.

"Not today you won't," said a confident Lucock.

Bella Renza started favourite and just scraped home from a fast-finishing Spirits Bay, but Lucock had been anticipating the quality mare would be coming back to her opposition in the closing stages.

"She had to have a break at some stage so we freshened her up after she'd finished fourth behind Mufhasa in the Waikato Draught at Te Rapa.

"Being fresh she raced a bit keenly and got there [front] a bit soon.

"It was a nice win though."

Bella Renza is one of the north's most improved horses and will be aimed at the group one NZ Bloodstock Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes at Te Aroha on April 4.

"She'll have a run before then, probably at Tauranga," said Lucock.

On Saturday Michael Coleman was beaten a nose in the $2.2 million Derby on the Ken Kelso/Thomas Russell- trained Down The Road.

This time it was Coleman just beating the Kelso/Russell-trained Spirits Bay by a similar margin.

Kevin Crampton has never been one to worry about ceremony.

What you see is what you get with the Pukekohe-based blacksmith: one huge bloke with a hammer and nails acting as plate inspector at Ellerslie meetings.

So when Crampton won his fourth race straight with the horse he owns and trains, Magic Places, yesterday, there was no sign of him in the birdcage.

Magic Places looked one of the most exciting emerging sprinters in making it four from four in the $40,000 New Zealand Herald 1200, but it wasn't enough to shake him from his comfort zone.

"Oh, he'll be down there somewhere," said trainer Cydny Evans, who assists Crampton, pointing to the tie-up stalls at the back of the course.

We might have seen the last of Magic Places - there has been an overseas offer for the horse on the table for several days.

Yesterday's dashing all-the-way victory might have been enough to push the deal through.

Magic Places led and looked certain to be run down from the 220m by Mallinson Road, who had a decent weight concession because of Ethan Dalley's 4kg apprentice claim.

But Magic Places, not to be denied, kicked back hard and was edging clear of his rivals again at the finish.

Veloz, joint favourite with Magic Places, lost his chance when he stood in the gates and watched the field go clear by six lengths.