Those who had visions of Brett Bellamy punching the air at Rosehill when Lordster won Saturday’s TAB Highway were wide of the mark. On the contrary he and wife Julie were doing cartwheels around the living room at Coffs Harbour. It was more than just an ordinary old TAB Highway win for the popular north coast trainer. It was in fact his very first success in the much lauded series. With six horses engaged at Sunday’s Grafton meeting, Brett hadn’t been looking forward to a 500 km road trip to Sydney. “Coffs Harbour trainer Donna Grisedale solved my problem when she offered to take Lordster down as a travel mate for her horse Powder Man,” said Brett. “She normally takes the stable pony to keep Powder Man company but Lordster got the job.”
Donna accompanied by jockey husband Jon Grisedale left Coffs early on Friday morning and went straight through to the Rosehill barn used by the Australian Turf Club to accommodate visiting country horses. She got Lordster ready for the races on Saturday morning, performed saddling up duties, and relayed riding instructions to Anna Roper. It’s now history that the Coffs Harbour duo provided the quinella with Lordster prevailing by just under a length from the luckless Powder Man who came from near last, and was held up at a crucial stage in the straight.
Powder Man began tardily from an inside gate and found himself a mile out of his ground on settling down. Roper allowed Lordster to begin under his own steam from a wide draw and was able to find a midfield spot one horse off the fence. At the 600m Via Vegas led narrowly from Let’s Go Brandon with favourite Exit Fee box seating on the inside of Turned Down. Cumnock and Discreet Miss were next with Lordster some eight lengths off the lead outside Martini Mumma. Lordster moved swiftly coming to the 300m and had them covered in a few strides. Powder Man was the only horse to take ground off him in the closing stages and almost certainly should have finished a little closer.
Anna Roper's 2Kg claim made the difference in Saturday's TAB Highway. Lordster showed a good turn of foot to win at his first Sydney start - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
A longtime association with Victorian owner-breeder Peter Wood led to Brett’s association with Lordster. It was Peter who put the Coffs Harbour trainer in touch with Neville Murdoch, founder and manager of Larneuk Stud originally located 15 kms from Euroa. At the time Murdoch was standing a handful of stallions on the property and selling and leasing horses to a range of Victorian owners and trainers. Horses struggling to win in Melbourne or at the stronger regional centres sometimes found their way into NSW country stables. “Thanks to Peter Wood I became one of Neville Murdoch’s go-to NSW trainers,” said Brett. “We’ve been able to win a good number of races with Larneuk horses in recent years. Lordster could turn out to be the best of them if he keeps improving. About two years ago Neville decided to let the stallions go and establish a specialist broodmare farm at Nagambie. Happily, we retain a great association.”
Lordster started his racing life in Melbourne with Clinton McDonald who decided to return him to Larneuk after just four starts. The gelding showed a glimpse of ability with a Moe maiden win and a second placing in a Cranbourne 3YO event, but was obviously judged an unlikely city prospect after finishing last of seven in the Gr 3 Red Anchor Stakes. It wasn’t long before he was on a transport to Bellamy’s Coffs Harbour stables. “Because of that Moe win I decided to take my time with the horse and check him right out,” said Brett. “Scans revealed a few knee issues which we cleaned up by arthroscope, and then we tipped him out for a long rest.”
Brett is a "go-to" trainer for Larneuk Stud horses not rated highly enough for Melbourne city and provincial tracks - courtesy Trackside Photography.
By the time Lordster was ready to resume in September 2024 eleven months had passed since his final Victorian run. He couldn’t have been more impressive in winning a BM58 at Coffs Harbour by a widening 2.5 lengths, showing the same turn of foot he displayed at Rosehill on Saturday. Brett blamed himself for the gelding’s disappointing run nine days later at Eagle Farm. ‘I backed him up too quickly,’ said the trainer. ‘The first run had obviously left him a touch flat and he wasn’t the same horse. I kept him nice and fresh going forward and the results were pleasing. He bolted in at Grafton, ran second on the Gold Coast followed by consecutive thirds at Doomben. He was probably coming to the end of it when he was unplaced in a BM82 at Coffs, and we spelled him immediately. His seven runs had produced two wins and three placings. He had two soft barrier trials leading up to his return and went into Saturday’s Highway very much on the fresh side.
Lordster’s pedigree makes for interesting reading. His sire Cluster was one of a handful of stallions standing at Larneuk Stud a few years ago. This son of Fastnet Rock was originally trained at Randwick by Anthony Cummings for whom he failed to win but was placed in two Gr 2 races, the San Domenico Stakes and the Bill Stutt Stakes. Transferred to Peter Snowden he would go on to win a Kembla maiden, a BM80 at Rosehill and later the Gr 2 Theo Marks Stakes on the same track. Cluster’s dam Tarcoola Diamond was a daughter of the high profile Last Tycoon and won four metro races in Melbourne including a listed event at Flemington. At last report Cluster was standing at stud in Indonesia.
Lordster's dad Cluster (Tim Clark) wins the Gr. 2 Theo Marks Stakes at Rosehill - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
A massive coincidence comes to light when you look at the record of Lordster’s dam O’Lordy (O’Lonhro - Fair Look). This mare’s three wins included two TAB Highways at Rosehill for Goulburn trainer Danny Williams. Eight years on her Cluster colt also wins a Rosehill TAB Highway and Danny Williams saddles up the favourite Exit Fee.
Lordster's dam O'Lordy (Jay Ford) in one of two TAB Highway wins at Rosehill 06/05/2017. Atlantic Sentinel (outside) was the runner up - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Brett Bellamy spent his early years in the Hawkesbury Valley, but at age seventeen moved to Coffs Harbour with his parents and siblings. His late father Kevin had run a successful horse transport business from his Richmond base and later became owner of the old Aerodrome Hotel, a “five iron” from the Hawkesbury Racecourse. When the family moved to Coffs Kevin took out a trainer’s licence and young Brett became his right hand man.
The bug soon bit and young Bellamy made the decision to spread his wings and further his education about thoroughbreds. He had a valuable two year stint at Randwick with the ever astute trainer Mal Barnes, and another two years working for the legendary Colin Hayes at his showplace Lindsay Park training and breeding operation at Angaston in South Australia. His time in the historic township would change his life dramatically. Not only was his expertise with thoroughbreds fine tuned, but on one fateful night at the Angaston pub he met an attractive young lady who worked at the nearby Yalumba Winery. Julie would become his wife, his greatest supporter and the mother of his two children-daughter Courtney and son Declan.
Brett and Julie before a Pink Silks charity race day at Coffs Harbour.
On returning to his home state Brett opted for another year working on a small stud farm at Duri near Tamworth. Soon after he bit the bullet and nervously opened his door as a public trainer at Coffs Harbour. His progress was agonisingly slow until a horse called Mahlula Star suddenly turned up in the stable, and what a lifesaver he turned out to be. He’d won half a dozen races for another trainer before joining Brett’s team, but was just getting started. Mahlula Star would win another 11 for his new trainer, almost exclusively on the northern rivers but he did snare one at Eagle Farm. The old warrior was also placed in a string of country cups.
One of the smartest mares Brett has trained to date is Chocolate Starfish with whom he won six races in the early 2000’s. She didn’t win in town but gave her trainer a massive thrill one day when she charged home to beat all but Star Of Florida in the Gr 2 San Domenico. She later had one crack at a Gr 1, finishing unplaced in a Galaxy but not far from the winner Snowland.
The trainer was very enamoured of Sectagonal, a horse he purchased from the previous owners for $12,500. He immediately had the horse gelded and the result was astounding. Sectagonal would win nine races for Brett including four at Eagle Farm, and four at Doomben. His second placings were in races like the Healy Stakes, the Lightning Stakes, the Chief De Beers and he was twice runner up in the Doomben Dash. Others to win multiple races for the Bellamy stable are Frisco’s Vision, Frisco’s Harem, Hotshot Hayil, Lotsamoola, Intent Wonder, Boncosta, All About Charlie, Narcelo, Northern Knight and Boncassie.
Brett holds bragging rights to the fact that he was the trainer of Magic Zap, the horse to give Zac Purton his very first win. This significant moment came at an Armidale meeting on May 6th 2000. “How could I ever forget the occasion,” said Brett. “Zac was quickly brought back to earth when called in by chief steward Shane Cullen on a matter unrelated to the race. Zac at the time had his hair dyed a bright green colour which didn’t impress the stipe. Whether Shane Cullen’s authority covered his control over Zac’s hair colour I still don’t know, but he told him to change it straight away.”
Kevin is justifiably proud of the progress of daughter Courtney who’s nudging up towards 90 wins as an apprentice jockey. The twenty two year old’s improvement is best reflected in the fact that a wide range of northern rivers trainers have utilised her services in the last couple of years. Anxious to further her education, Courtney recently jumped at the opportunity to join the Tony and Calvin McEvoy operation at Ballarat on a three month loan-out. She’s winless after just a handful of rides, but that’s certain to change at any minute. Courtney’s only beef about the move is generated by a bitterly cold Ballarat winter. For a Coffs Harbour girl, the change is dramatic.
Brett with Courtney after an Inverell win with La Cache A Vin 2024 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Brett recently joined an elite list of bush trainers to reach the 1000 win mark, a notable milestone for any country based trainer. Thirty nine years have passed since he launched a commercial operation at Coffs Harbour which has taken him to two NSW country training titles, and six northern rivers premierships. He’s in a spot where horses thrive, especially the kind who’ve spent the early part of their racing careers in chilly Victoria. Lordster’s not the first one to grow a leg after a canter or two along beautiful Boambee Beach and he won’t be the last. That impressive win at Rosehill on Saturday might see a few more “rejects” dispatched to banana country.
Footnote: Brett’s trip to Grafton on Sunday wasn’t a futile exercise. He won with Pure Deal at bolter’s odds of $61.00 and finished second in the final race with Boambee Beach. Both horses were well ridden by his apprentice, former Queenslander Bella Youngberry.
(Banner image - A Coffs Harbour quinella in the TAB Highway as Lordster holds off the unlucky Powder Man - courtesy Bradley Photographers.)