Quiet Patch Before Bell Gets Back In The Swing Of Things
Trainer Ryan Bell had been hoping to play a big part in feature races at Gloucester Park over the concluding stages of 2023.
He hoped Shockwave would stay fit to tackle the WA Pacing Cup.
Swingband and Machs Bettor both looked genuine Golden Nugget players in an even group of four-year-olds.
Wave Rider showed signs as an early two-year-old he could be among the top chances for the Golden Slipper.
Instead, he’s been reduced to the role of a spectator in all the features.
Bell is hopeful of having the band back together soon and Swingband is a key part of that.
Swingband, who won multiple feature races as a three-year-old, displayed the traits of an open class pacer in his four-year-old season.
The gelding beat Free-For-All performers The Mustang, Galactic Star and Whatabro before he suffered a setback that ruled him out of recent four-year-old features.
Bell said the early signs of Swingband’s comeback preparation from the tibia injury suggest he was ready to continue his progression to the top company.
“He’s quite a beast at the moment,” Bell told The Trots WA.
“He’s always been a good horse, but he’s just been a bit immature.
“He’s had a lot of issues, but we seem to have rectified them.
“While he had to go out with the injury, it may have done him the world of good.
“Right now, I’m more upbeat about him than Shockwave.”
The Baskerville-based trainer said he would look to give Swingband the chance to enhance his TABtouch-Nullarbor claims by competing in races like the Pinjarra and Bunbury Cups next March.
While Bell is upbeat on Swingband’s prospects of getting to the second edition of April’s Nullarbor, he doesn’t share the same confidence with Shockwave.
Shockwave won all of his three starts on return from injury earlier this year but was ruled out of the WA Pacing Cup when he had a training mishap.
Bell said Shockwave was slowly working to a return but would take a cautious approach with his stable star.
“He will have his first hobble run at the end of the month,” he said.
“Hopefully he will be racing by the start of March.
“We aren’t getting our hopes up with him and it’s a day-by-day proposition.”
Bell will be hoping to end 2023 on a high when Tiger Royal starts in tomorrow night’s Christmas Gift (2130m) at Gloucester Park.
The five-year-old has drawn barrier three in the $50,000 event.
Bell said he hoped Tiger Royal could figure in the finish.
“I’ll be happy if he can run in the top five,” he said.
“He’s an opportunist and when he’s in this grade he relies on a draw.”
Tim Walker
Image – Pacepix
WATCH – Swingband’s most recent start