Bellezza Nera sensational run to take out Adelaide Pacing Cup
Bellezza Nera produced a sensational last-to-first performance to land the inaugural $25,000 Kevin & Kay Seymour & SAHRC Adelaide Pacing Cup (2230m) at Globe Derby Park on Saturday.
The victory continued a fairytale introduction to harness ownership for Lachie Cormack from Hillier.
The Cormack name has been significant in SA harness racing for more than 50 years through Lachie’s father, uncles and cousins, but Bellezza Nera is his first involvement.
What a start! The seven-year-old has had two wins and three seconds picking up $27,267 in stakes. Those wins were in the Kadina Cup, then Saturday’s Adelaide Pacing Cup.
Trained by David Harding and driven by Danielle Hill, Bellezza Nera started at $18 on Saturday but sprinted home like a favourite to grab a 1-1/2 metre win from Springfield Affair ($3.20 fav) with Delightful Tammy ($14), five metres away third.
A lot of interest in the Cup centred on what would happen at mobile release and it did not disappoint.
Assassinator ($12) pushed through from gate one to hold out Lord Zarias ($3.50) which had begun quickly from barrier two and the pair went stride-for-stride for the first 200 metres before the latter was able to roll to the front.
Gaita Pullicino, on Springfield Affair, from gate five, sat wide letting the front runners surge before allowing her drive to strive forward and assume control.
The favourite loves to roll along and Pullicino let him stride with a result of quarters of 29.4, 29,5, 28.9 and 29.9 seconds for the last 1600 metres.
Delightful Tammy, which had been one-one and Classic Line ($6.50) on her back, both sprinted strongly off the back to launch possible winning challenges, and on their back was Bellezza Nera getting a good cart into the race.
Springfield Affair looked to have held off the opposition but then Hill came five wide on her drive and the gelding, having appreciated the good tempo, sprinted brilliantly to swamp the leader and claim victory.
Hill said she was not surprised Bellezza Nera had been able to win.
“He has been running well from awkward draws,” Hill said.
“Tonight, everything worked out perfectly with the good tempo and the drag into the race.
“I have to admit I had itchy fingers down the back and nearly went too early.
“But I kept saying to myself wait, wait and it worked perfectly.”
For trainer David Harding it was an emotional win following the tragic news of the passing of champion driver, and SA legend Greg Sugars.
The Harding and Sugars families have been close since Les Harding and Ross Sugars lined up for Gaza in underage football back in the late 60s.
Harding’s sons Matthew, Ben and David, especially the latter two, along with Ross’ son Greg, came up through the SA pony trots and spent a lot of their childhoods together.
“I rang Greg yesterday for a chat, I am in disbelief,” David Harding said.
“My brother Ben was best man at Greg’s wedding, he is shattered.”
Talented four-year-old Tembie is a pacer who keeps on giving.
A week ago he gave concession driver Bernadette Page her 100th winner, this week he provided part-owner Lee-anne Lane with a perfect birthday present.
Ms Lane celebrated her birthday on Anzac Day, April 25 and Tembie scored a brilliant win the following day in the $14,000 Ladbrokes 3YO & 4YO Pace Final (1800m).
Trained in Port Pirie by Dale Afford, Tembie ($2.30 fav) was given a perfect drive by concession reinsman Josh Holberton to sprint home and score a four-metre win from Clarenden Tribute ($19) with Alive And Free ($9), three metres away third.
Coming from an awkward draw of 10, Holberton was able to settle Tembie one out, three back in the running line trailing Clarenden Tribute.
When Jason Kittel made his move on Clarenden Tribute, Holberton was able to follow him forward, then come wide in the home straight and sprint to victory.
Ironically, Saturday’s final was run on the same night as the Kindergarten Stakes, a race Tembie won in 2023.
Prominent owners Aaron Bain Racing and Summit Bloodstock made it two wins in a row in the $14,999 2025 SA BOTRA 2YO Kindergarten Stakes (1800m).
In 2024 ABR & Summit were owners of Miss Disturbia, this year it was the diminutive filly Open The Gates which was successful for them.
In the heat a week earlier, Open The Gates, trained by Emma Stewart, was beaten as a red-hot $1.15 favourite by Im Big Business.
A week earlier she had to dash around and sit parked on Im Big Business which drew clear to win but in the final, the tables were reversed.
Wayne Hill had Open The Gates ($1.70 fav) away quickly from barrier three to find the lead while Kevin Weidenbach, driving Im Big Business ($2.80), had to bring his colt forward to sit outside the filly.
The pair staged a two-horse war over the final 500 metres, but this time the filly was to stave off her rival to win by 3-1/2 metres with Ella Kate ($15), a distant third, 36 metres away.
- Graham Fischer
- Walter Bulyga