Harsh Day For Belles at Harshest Test

Since our wicked debut 7^th in 2001, we tend to come away from this one feeling that things didn’t quite go our way. It’s such a competitive race and we’re sanguine enough to know that the punishment we take here we tend to repay, with interest, as the season evolves.Missing several thoroughbreds, the path was paved for the gifted Sally. An electrifying interval session a month ago dazzled your scribe into feeling she could handle the nest of vipers that is Leg 1. And despite a somewhat lower position than hoped for, Sal’s time disposed of 179 athletes on the day, and is just 8 seconds slower than Mel ran two years ago, and look what happened to her.With a fatigued bod after a full-on training camp, it’ll be the next two weekends that we see the real Mel, but she still scored one of the best net gains in Belgrave history – 24 no less. More fine gains by ZVS, with a sore hip and a Windsor Half hangover, but after a bashful first climb she lit the touch paper and bombed it home.Another training camper to overdo it a touch under the hot Alfa Mar sun was the co-skip Zoe who has a jumpy calf for her trouble, and had just about the loneliest race she’ll ever have. It was thankless stuff, and in hindsight perhaps we should have front-loaded more; but that ignores the experience Sal gained - which was priceless.1 Swansea 59:14; 2 Bristol & West 59:51; Vale Royal 1:00:03… 17 Belgrave H 1:04:02. 85 teams started, 67 finished.S Underhill (52) 16:35; M Wilkins (28) 15:32; Z Vail Smith (19) 15:52; Z Doyle (17) 16:03.Fastest: E Vernon (Stockport) 14:11; E Kirk (Swansea) 14:13; K Hulls (B&W) 14:21.