Bellman is hoping for Group 1 success

Prominent freelance harness racing reinsman Michael Bellman is hoping emerging three-year-old Sergeant Lou (Sweet Lou) could be the horse to provide him with his first Group 1 success after that pacer resumed with an impressive win in the Graham Head Memorial 3YO Pace on Shepparton Cup night.

Sent out a $1.60 favorite, Sergeant Lou bounded straight to the lead and was never headed thereafter scoring comfortably from The Statesman and The Answer in a mile rate of 1:57.7.h

Bellman said Sergeant Lou has the ability to be a prominent Group performer.

“Horses like this don’t come along every day so to find a nice one like him and we’ve always had a very good opinion of him, but it’s taken a bit of time to get there, hopefully he keeps improving,” Bellman said.

Sergeant Lou was bred and is raced by media identity Rob Auber and Bellman is hoping he can deliver on long time promise.

“Rob has said from day dot that I’m going to get you a Group 1 winner and he said this is the one that we can get you so hopefully he is true to his word, and he has never let me down in the past,” he said.

Trainer Paul Males indicated Sergeant Lou is likely to embark on a sojourn to Sydney to contest the NSW Derby at Menangle in March and Bellman believes the spacious 1400 metre circuit will play to his advantage.

“The big, long straight will suit him and he has just learnt to run the gate and he just feels bigger stronger and faster this time in,” he said.

by John Dunne, for Harnesslink