Bellamy has Northern Knight ready to fulfil Bowman's prediction
Coffs Harbour trainer Brett Bellamy arrives at the Northern Rivers Country Championship Qualifier with Northern Knight, the horse Hugh Bowman predicted was up to making the final of the rich series.
The talented four-year-old won his first three starts before heading to Sydney for perhaps the strongest Highway Handicap run in its two-year-old history.
Northern Knight finished fifth behind Suncraze and Don’t Give A Damn, which top the market for the Country Championships.
Champion predictor: Hugh Bowman told Brett Bellamy to set Northern Knight for the Country Championships.
Photo: SuppliedIt wasn't the result the Coffs team expected, but they got some encouraging feedback.
“Hughie got off him him and said: 'I only have good things to say. He is a really nice horse and he wouldn’t be out of place here over 1400m in the Country Championships'," Bellamy recalled.
“We could have gone to the big race on Everest day [the Anniversary Handicap] after that, but we decided to aim for this race on what Hughie said.
“He has had one run in the preview to get ready for this and he is in great shape. It was disappointing to see him draw the wide gate, but hopefully we can overcome that.
"He is only lightly raced and is still getting better. I just want him to run one-two because I think he will really be suited in the final at Randwick.”
Northern Knight loomed to win the preview on his home track two weeks ago but peaked on his run and stablemate Super Tonic took the honours.
Super Tonic couldn’t get a run in the heat, only being the fourth emergency.
“We have a preview and the horse that wins it isn’t in the the race for $150,000 - that is hard to explain to owners,” Bellamy said. “She is going well and would be a good hope as well.
"We will take her to a metropolitan race at the Gold Coast in a week or two, so she is lost to NSW at her next start.
“We would have liked to give her a chance in the the heat because she is going just as well as him.”
Murwillumbah trainer Matt Dunn is the one to beat in the Grafton heat.
He will have at least four runners, including last start winners Snitz and Runaway Ready.
Race diary: Monday: Coonamble. Tuesday: Cessnock, Coffs Harbour. Thursday: Goulburn, Moree. Friday: Taree. Saturday: Berrigan, Broken Hill, Crookwell, Lismore, Warren.
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