BEDLAM WINS IN FORBURY BLIZZARD
Bedlam, who had to combat a blizzard to win as a late 2YO at Forbury Park on Tuesday, July 12, 2011, will return to racing a maiden as a 3YO.
“I was triple rugged up,” Mark said. “It was snowing in the preliminary.”
The freezing temperatures were a complete contrast to the summer weather he experienced on a recent trip to France, where he had a day which reached 38 degrees celsius.
Mark is to turn Bedlam out for six weeks after the rising 3YO son of Washington V C led throughout to win a race sponsored by the horse’s sire.
Bedlam paced the mobile 2200m in the wintry conditions in 2:53.4 (2:06.8 mile rate) to justify his warm favouritism at his second start. He held good late finisher Heather Helen, running his last 800m in 62.7s and his final 400m in 29.7s.
“He got quite crook when we gelded him and he probably hasn’t been quite right. He’ll come back a better racehorse,” Mark said.
“He was getting a little tired the last bit on Tuesday. Leading up down there probably wasn’t really ideal but it was a long way to go to be unlucky,” he said.
Bedlam was a $10,000 NZ Premier Yearling Sale purchase last year for Ohoka owners, Ernie and Gail Bailey.
He is a half-brother to Linatawa (three NZ wins), latterly a good USA winner taking a 1:52.8 mile mark.
Their dam Bedspread is an unraced Wingspread half-sister to Colonel Anvil (11 NZ & Aust wins, 1:57.7), a former four lengths runnerup to Courage Under Fire in the 1999 NZ Derby at Addington for trainer Robert Cameron.
Bedspread is from the same family as former good winners Butler Hanover (4 NZ wins, 26 USA wins, 1:58.4, US), Spangle’s Gold (6 NZ wins, 15 USA wins, 1:57.4, US), Farm Boss (2 NZ wins, 10 USA wins) and big Queensland winners, Natta Razoo Left (41 wins), Costa Razoo (35 wins) and Notta Brass Razoo (12 wins).