Belle Of The Daintree a family affair for Bailey

By Glenn Davis

It will be a family affair for veteran trainer Alwyn Bailey if he can defend his Belle Of The Daintree crown with a two-pronged attack at Cairns on Saturday.

Bailey won last year’s Belle Of The Daintree with Female Officer and is chasing back-to-back wins in the 1500 metre feature with Tavisteel and Loburn Lass.

He also has Rough Cut Jewel in the Newmarket Handicap but is resigned to missing a start after the gelding was named an emergency.

“I won’t have a Newmarket runner now but hopefully the Belle Of The Daintree will be a good consolation,” Bailey said.

Bailey is kept busy with 16 horses in work and is grateful for the support he receives from family members.

“It’s a real family affair this time of the year up here as my brother, Rob, comes up from Hervey Bay to help me around the stable,” Bailey said.

“My sons Andrew and Bodine also help out.

“Andrew comes every morning before he goes to work as a maintenance worker and Bodine is always here before he heads off to work as a plumber.”

Bailey can’t separate his pair but expects Loburn Lass – a Lacey Morrison mount – to be with the leaders while Tavisteel will be just off the pace.

Loburn Lass is coming off a last start third to the Nick Walsh-trained Hell in a 1200 metre Benchmark race at Townsville last month while Tavisteel finished fourth in a 1500 metre Open Handicap in Townsville on August 1.

“Tavisteel is raced by the same owners as Red Light Roxanne who finished third in last year’s Belle Of The Daintree and they’ll be hoping to go two better,” Bailey said.

“Lucy Giles rides both in all their work and she says they’re both going great. I got Lacey (Morrison) to ride Loburn Lass as she really liked her run in Townsville and she’s going into this third-up.

“Tavisteel’s last run was also good and it topped her off for this.

“If anything, she’s gone ahead since her last run.”

Bailey rates the Lachie Manzelmann-trained Tycoon Baby as the biggest threat to his pair.

Tycoon Baby gets her chance at redemption in the Belle Of The Daintree after a massive betting plunge on the mare came unstuck in the Mackay edition last week.

Tycoon Baby was sensationally backed from $19 into $7 in the Belle Of Whitsunday in the 'Sugar City' last Saturday but she could only manage second.

The Manzelmann galloper faces a seven-day back-up after she was beaten almost five lengths in the Mackay feature by Rockhampton’s rising star Top Spy who carried 65kgs.

Tycoon Baby has not won since claiming a Benchmark race at Bowen in December of last year but it didn’t stop the money rolling in for the six-year-old last start.