Bellman narrowly denied joint-record of consecutive wins

Many owners dream of welcoming back seven winners in a year, but Laurence Bellman was on Sunday reflecting on so nearly bagging eight on the spin, Boychick having lost out by a head in a driving finish at Kempton to scupper a sensational sequence.

Bellman’s colours had been carried to victory by Smiley Bagel earlier in the day at Lingfield to give him a super seven, teeing up a tilt at a great eight, and the owner said: “I actually didn't go to Lingfield to see Smiley win as I thought Boychick had the better chance of the two.

“But it wasn't to be as What Usain got first run on us at Kempton and, though Boychick ran all the way to the line, he couldn't quite peg him back. It would have been very nice and quite a feat to have equalled, and maybe beaten, what I believe is Godolphin’s record of eight wins in a row, but it wasn't to be.

“It's been a real thrill, though. Even though the wins were in low-grade races on the all-weather, these races still take some winning. If I had done it I was going to rebrand myself Belldolphin!”

Bellman has had eight winners from 11 runners in the past six weeks, his magnificent seven kicking off on January 25 when Simply Me scored at Lingfield and mushrooming over the next 24 days via Smiley Bagel (two wins), Boychick (two), Captain Courageous and another success for Simply Me making up the numbers.

The owner added: “I have interests in around 30 horses which run in my own name or in partnerships and I hope my run of good luck can keep going into the Flat turf season.

"Over the years I've had my ups and downs but it doesn't matter to me what the horse’s ability; they are all the same to me, I love them all."

Bellman, a semi-retired chartered surveyor and estate agent, concluded: “I suppose you could say I swapped buying and selling houses to buying and selling horses. I was lucky in business and now some of that seems to have rubbed off as far as the horses are concerned.”