BRILLIANT BELLA RETIRED
Ian Fortune
One of the best stayers in the land has hung up her muzzle with the news that Jacktavern Bella has been retired.
The news came through in the days leading up to last weekend’s Winter Racing Festival with the brilliant daughter of Droopys Sydney and Lemon Ariana withdrawn from the Championship 850.
It brought to an end a stellar career that saw her star on both sides of the Irish Sea since making her debut in early 2022. It didn’t take a genius in the early days to realise she was destined to be at her best over a trip but it didn’t stop her from producing some serious runs over four bends through her career.
THE START OF IT ALL
She kicked off her career around Clonmel, winning an ON2 Unraced Stake.
On debut she came home no fewer than seventeen lengths clear in 28.70 before returning a week later to win the final despite finding traffic. Finishing fast, she ran out a comfortable three length winner in 29.37.
It was straight onto Shelbourne Park where she quickly caught the eye. Despite missing the start and finding traffic at the third turn, she again flew home to win the final of a small A2 stake in 28.87 in late February.
Litle did we know at the time but she would have just two more starts over the standard trip with connections immediately stepping her up in distance. To be honest, it wasn’t a hard decision to make.
A 31.27 return for 575yds was followed by an eye-catching defeat over 600yds.
A STEP UP TO 750 WAS INEVITABLE
The manner in which she hit the line in these two outings sold her owners, the Pillar Syndicate, on the idea of an early move up to six bends.
It wasn’t exactly an inspired decision but rather a no-brainer.
She won her Novice 750 around Limerick just three weeks later and quickly followed up with two hugely promising victories over the same trip.
She was now established as the most exciting young stayer in training but it would strangely be another seven months before she won again. This was purely down to the fact that he was thrown in at the deep end and was competing in the very best company.
In that time, she continued to run with real purpose, reaching the final of the Yvonne Barry Bookmaker Open 600 at Shelbourne before stepping back up to six bends for a end of year campaign over the extended trip.
Her final start of the year came at the Winter Racing Festival, where she had a great buckle with Magical Poppy over 850yds before finishing second.
RETURNING BETTER THAN EVER IN 2023
It had been a busy but productive first year but it seems fair to suggest she returned in 2023 a very different bitch.
A brilliant 41.48 return over six bends at Shelbourne in mid-February kicked off a tremendous run for the star performer.
She went to Mullingar and reached the final of the Cesarewitch, eventually finishing fourth in the decider after winning birth her prelims. Still better was to come. After three big runs, both in victory and defeat, her sporting owners decided to give her a crack at the English Derby at Towcester.
The thinking at the time was when she went out of the classic, she would be ready for a run in a valuable six-bend event on final night.
A REMARKABLE ENGLISH DERBY CHALLENGE
What was to follow was an incredible eight weeks.
She immediately fell in love with Towcester, winning two Derby Tial Stakes in hugely impression fashion. Surely it would be different when she was thrown into the hotter coals of Derby action? Think again.
While she didn’t win any of her assignments through the blue riband, she was a comfortable qualifier in second through the first three rounds before reaching the semi-finals with another fine run in the quarter finals behind subsequent Derby winner Gaytime Nemo.
Her fairytale passage through the classic came to an end in the semis when finding traffic at the second turn. It was now back to the original plan with her being entered for a valuable contest over 712m on Derby final night.
To no surprise to the punters, she obliged at odds on, taking charge early before powering further and further clear for a sensational nine length victory in 42.96.
A LEGER CAMPAIGN
It would not be her only raid to the UK. She was also invited for the Select Stayers at Nottingham, although she carried no luck at the Colwick Park venue.
However, it didn’t put off her connections and she returned to British soil for a crack at the St Leger.
Again, she was wonderful through the early rounds and eventually finished a good second in the decider behind a rampant Droopys Clue.
THE END OF HER TRACK CAREER
A couple of weeks later, she would return to winning ways in her native Ireland, winning over 750yds around Limerick in a rapid 41.47. She lined up at Cork on Laurels final night but took a tumble.
Ultimately, her Limerick victory would be the last of her career but what a career it was.
When you buy a greyhound, you can only hope they will provide you with great nights and some wonderful memories. For the Pillar Syndicate, who were lucky enough to own Jacktavern Bella, she reached classic finals, won races over a number of distances at seven different tracks. She gave them reason to travel across the pond, celebrate on UK soil and back again.
A powerful stayer with the class to reach the semi-finals of an English Derby, she must be a joy to own. And now it’s onto the breeding paddocks. She is set to join the man that sourced her and jointly owned her throughout her racing career, Wayne McCarthy. It’s no surprise to hear that he is planning to breed her and we can look forward to seeing her progeny hit the track in the future.
No doubt Graham Holland and all at his Riverside Kennels operation, who trained Jacktavern Bella throughout her career, will be hoping they get to train her progeny in the future. As they so often do, the Riverside Kennels’ social media accounts were quick to pass on the news of her retirement. Make sure to check it out. As for Bella, this scribe was lucky enough to follow her throughout her career and it truly was a pleasure.