Exhibition gallop

Top New Zealand mare Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands) stretched her legs with a hitout between races on the Kensington track at Randwick.

In the hands of Tommy Berry, she worked around quietly before sprinting down the straight to take a step further toward resuming.

The Jamie Richards-trained Melody Belle is currently prominent in the betting markets for the G1 Winx S., the G1 George Main S. and the G1 Epsom H.

The multiple top-flight winner was spelled in Australia following her sixth placing in the G1 Queen Elizabeth S. at Randwick in the autumn.

High spring hopes

Robert Hickmott produced the progressive Bumper Blast (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) for an impressive resuming success at Flemington to fuel hopes of Group success in the spring.

Jockey Craig Williams also placed a major part in The Belzoni victory, angling the 4-year-old across heels from barrier one to get to the outside to launch a winning run.

Bumper Blast has won four of his seven starts and has been successful three times at Flemington, twice over 1400 metres and a distance Hickmott is looking at for stakes races during the spring.

Rawiller bags series

Campbell Rawiller has won the Rising Stars series, which comprised of more than 20 apprentice-only races around Victoria during the season with riders earning points for top-five finishes.

The son of top jockey Nash had an unassailable lead going into the final event at Flemington on Saturday, which was won by Teo Nugent aboard El Questro (Lago Delight), who credited trainer Allison Sheehan with her first winner on the course.

Rawiller finished second aboard the Grahame Begg-trained Beauty Bolt (Redoute’s Choice) in Saturday's race, notching another six points to finish 10 ahead of Nugent in the overall points standings.

Filly headed for top

Group 1 plans are already in place for De La Terre (NZ) (Reliable Man {GB}), who completed a Te Rapa double on Saturday following success on the course earlier this month.

Co-trainer Graeme Rogerson intends to follow next season’s New Zealand Bloodstock’s Filly of the Year series with a focus on the G1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas at Riccarton in the spring.

Bred by Gerry Harvey’s Westbury Stud, De La Terre was a NZ$55,000 Karaka purchase and is a sister to the winner and G1 Sistema S. runner-up Aalaalune (NZ). The G2 TAB S. winner and five-time Group 1 placegetter Osborne Bulls (Street Cry {Ire}) features in the pedigree.

De La Terre sat outside the pace on Saturday and wore down the leader Eva James (NZ) (Super Easy {NZ}) in the closing 50 metres of the Dylan Johnson Bloodstock 2YO.

Changes bring success

Gear changes saw Fighting Teo (Teofilo {Ire}) return to his best with victory in the Grandview Stud H. at Ipswich.

The strapping chestnut went to the front and held on in the straight to beat Romakash (NZ) (Roc De Cambes {NZ}) by 0.5l.

Trainer Kevin Kemp made several changes for Saturday, including removing blinkers and adding winkers. The Toowoomba Cup in September is a long-term aim for the gelding.

South Island mission

A tilt at the G3 Winter Cup at Riccarton next month is the likely assignment for impressive Awapuni winner Happy Star (NZ) (Fabulous {NZ}).

The Johno Benner and Hollie Wynyard-trained 4-year-old is unbeaten this campaign with a gritty performance on a testing Heavy 11 surface to take out a rating 99 1400 metre contest on Saturday.

“He’s put together two wins in a row and is showing he has a bit of class on these wet tracks,” she said. “He is definitely getting there maturity wise now.

“We got him toward the end of his prep last season and as it was heading into summer he went out for a spell. We’re hoping he can put his hand up for a race like the Winter Cup and be very competitive.”

Hot roll continues

Chrissy Bambry’s stable has been on fire since racing resumed following the lockdown period and it produced another winning double at Awapuni on Saturday.

Under 63kg, Deerfield (NZ) (Falkirk {NZ}) ran away with the TRC Toyota/Harris Contracting H. and Empire Of Patch (Ire) (Exceed And Excel) was also untroubled to post his first victory in the PTS Logistics/Wenham Grain & Seed 1200.

Adding to the run of success was Lord Bouzeron (NZ) (Burgundy {NZ}), who won three times for Bambry and made a triumphant Australian debut at Caulfield last Saturday for her brother-in-law, Mornington trainer Francis Finnegan.

Gurkha opens account

Coolmore’s G1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains and G1 Sussex S. hero The Gurkha (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) became the latest European freshman sire off the mark when Aidan O’Brien-trained Finest (Ire) won at Limerick.

Comfortable in front for the most part, the filly was punched along passing the 400 metre marker and in the final stages fought bravely to hold off the late charge of Amber Kite (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) by a nose.

“She did that well from an outside draw and I got it a little bit easy in front,” winning rider Wayne Lordan said. “She tried and battled well and the line came in time.”

Spectators at Goodwood

Some spectators will be allowed to attend the final day of the Qatar Goodwood Festival on August 1 as part of a pilot test of crowds at sporting events organised by The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

Attendance will initially be offered to Goodwood annual members and their guests. People onsite, including spectators and participants, will be capped at 5000. The Racecourse Association said Goodwood was chosen as an appropriate location for the pilot because it is in a rural setting with a low prevalence rate of the virus.

“We welcome the fact that horse racing is to be selected as one of the pilot events to welcome back crowds and my team and I acknowledge the great responsibility upon us,” David Armstrong, Chief Executive of the Racecourse Association and chair of the welcoming crowds industry group, said.