Plenty of blue sky on the horizon for Belford kennel

By Pat McLeod

Brad Belford’s powerhouse North Queensland kennel may be currently lacking top-end quality, but there is plenty of blue sky on the horizon.

The Townsville-based trainer recently dominated his local $5,005-to-the-winner Maiden 1000 feature over 380 metres, landing the quinella with Showtime Prissy and Federal Duke after qualifying five runners for the Final.

On Wednesday night he has two runners in the Rockhampton 407 metre version of that event – Federal Mercedes (box two) and Showtime Archie (box five).

Belford said his busy kennel had plenty of promising youngsters coming through, but was ‘a bit thin at the top end’.

“With some really good races coming up, it's been a long time since I haven't had a decent dog to chase features such as the North Queensland Cup,” he said.

“I'm just lacking a class 500 metre dog that is good early.

“I have almost always had one. I won the North Queensland Cup nearly three out of four years, but I am a million-to-one this time around.

“Some of these young dogs might come through, but you don't want to throw them to the wolves too early.

“Although I am just a bit light on at the moment, that will change and turn around.”

Belford and wife Jackie made a rare 10-hour trek south to Rockhampton for last week’s maiden heats meeting.

They return this week with the two finalists and 10 other dogs spread across the program.

“I probably have only been to Rocky a handful of times in recent years,” Belford said.

“It is just so far to go. But, although it was a 10-hour drive, my wife and I really enjoyed ourselves there. It was just refreshing to go somewhere else.

“It certainly helped winning a couple of races, but we really enjoyed it and we are looking forward to going back this week.

“The club made us feel really welcome there. Obviously, we still enjoy racing at Townsville, but there are some dogs that need a change.

“We have a couple of rough hopes there on Wednesday night, no good things. Whatever they do they will come back better dogs.”

Of his two in the Maiden Final, Belford has a high opinion of Showtime Archie (Fernando Bale and Flash Magic), who was a first start winner last week.

“He was as green as grass and I would expect him to improve a fair bit,” Belford said.

“I do have a bit of an opinion on the dog. He does go good.

“He is still learning and has had plenty of trials, but trials aren’t a race.

“What I liked about his heat run was that he struck interference after just two hops and then he pulled to the outside and he still gave them a start and he shied off them when he straightened and he still got the money."

Belford described him as a 'fair pup'.

“I said to my wife on the way home last week that if we draw one, two or three with him we are unbeatable," Belford said. 

“From the five alley, I'm not so sure.

“There are some smart dogs in this field including Christine Pollard's (Scarsdale from box three).

“The one, Dallas Beckett 's Sweet Valentine, will lead for sure. It is a jet early. As long as our dog comes out fair, he should be OK.”

Belford isn’t as glowing in his summation of Federal Mercedes’ chances.

“She is going OK, but she won’t be a champion,” he said.

“Her run was fair last week without being really good. She might rail-up and fluke a place if she is lucky.”