Melody Belle

TE Akau Racing won last Sunday’s Karaka Million with the Commands filly Melody Belle, a NZ$57,500 yearling at last year’s Premier sale. The 2YO 1,200 metre sprint at set-weights at Ellerslie was the 10th running of New Zealand Bloodstock flagship incentive race with the Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards-trained Melody Belle winning by a length and a quarter from the Savabeel filly Hasahalo and the Pins colt Felton Road.

“The syndicate is made up of a lot of existing Fortuna clients who have been in other horses along with some brand newbies. It’s a great thrill for them, to not only have a runner in the race but to get the win,” said John Galvin, who manages the Fortuna syndicates. Winx to Apollo

TRAINER Chris Waller has indicated star mare Winx will follow the same path as 12 months earlier and begin her autumn campaign over 1,400 metres in the Apollo Stakes at Warwick Farm on February 11th.

“We’ll start to increase the intensity of her work probably at the end of the week and then back off for the last three or four days going into the Apollo Stakes,” Waller said.

“She’s a horse in the peak of her career and, as a result, she can’t be changed, she can’t improve. She’s just got to hold her own. The Group 1s of the Chipping Norton and George Ryder Stakes beckon beyond the Apollo before the A$4 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes over 2,000 metres at Randwick on April 8th.

Floozie wins the Thorndon Mile

STEPHEN Marsh had four of the 14 runners in the Group 1 Thorndon Mile at Trentham last Saturday and to his credit was able to greet one set in the winners stall. “We’ve got a lot of owners here who have come from far and wide,” said Marsh. “We had four runners who I all thought deserved their chance and I’m just rapt one of them got the win.”

Rosie Myers was the architect of the Mastercraftsman mare Thee Auld Floozie’s win, parking her just off the pace before making a decisive move on straightening just as the leaders began to weaken. Home by a length and a half, the Castledale gelding Prince Of Passion was second with the Redoute’s Choice mare Abidewithme third.

Randwick to host The Everest

RACING Australia have announced that the inaugural A$10-million ‘The Everest’ 1200-metre race will take place on Saturday, October 14th at Royal Randwick. Similar to the Pegasus World Cup run at Gulfstream Park last weekend, 12 slots will be sold for the at a price of A$600,000, and it is open to local and international buyers. The owners of these slots will be able to trade their position or alternatively partner with owners not holding a slot to enter a horse in the final field for the race. The prizemoney will be boosted by the addition of A$2.8 million to the pool, the additional revenues generated from the race meeting.

Run under weight-for-age conditions, The Everest will be the world’s richest 1200-metre race and the richest turf race.