Written by Paul Vettise
Top mare Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands) will be returning home without another run in Sydney following her luckless outing at Randwick in the G1 Winx S.
While it’s onward and upward in Australia with stablemate Probabeel (NZ) (Savabeel), who resumed with a blistering second in the G3 Show County Quality, time has been called on Melody Belle’s stay following her unplaced run.
Connections have made the decision to give the 6-year-old easier spring and summer opportunities in New Zealand to add to her extraordinary record at the elite level.
“We just want to take stock of things and she’s coming home and will have a few days in the paddock before we make a plan,” trainer Jamie Richards said.
Jamie Richards
“She’s a year older now and she’s won 10 Group 1s and nine of those have been in New Zealand. She won a Group 1 in Melbourne against her own sex on a suitable soft track.
“We think she will be better off at home and we'll build her confidence and maybe go back to Australia in the autumn if it all comes together.”
“We think she will be better off at home and we'll build her confidence and maybe go back to Australia in the autumn if it all comes together.” – Jamie Richards
The Hawke’s Bay spring carnival, where Melody Belle created history last season by claiming all three legs of the Group 1 Triple Crown series, is on the radar, but there are other options for the mare.
“It doesn’t necessarily have to be Hawke’s Bay. We’ll see how she does and there are plenty of nice races through the Christmas carnival here,” Richards said.
Melody Belle tailed the field home when resuming in the G2 Missile S. at Rosehill and had nothing go her way when out of the money in the Winx S. She was ridden both times by Kerrin McEvoy.
“She had no luck and ended up in a nice spot and then got shuffled back to a spot further back than we would have liked to be,” Richards said.
“She had no room in the straight and got a couple of checks and it was pretty much game over. She was only beaten a bit over 5l in a very good field.
“Kerrin is of the opinion that she is getting found out by the really good class of horses over 1400 metres now that she is a little bit older.”
Probabeel sharp
By contrast, last season’s G1 Surround S. winner Probabeel looks set to be competitive in upcoming Group features. She copped an interrupted run in the Show County and flashed home late when clear.
“Watching the replay, I do think with a touch more luck she might have even got the victory. One thing that did work in our favour was the improved track, which suited her perfectly,” Richards said.
“It was a really nice resuming run and she just needs good ground and that’s the key to her, plain and simple.
“Her trials are always very ordinary. We save the blinkers for race day and she can quicken very well.”
The G1 Epsom H. now looms as a major target for the Cambridge Stud-raced Probabeel with her lead-up path to be confirmed.
“We’ll speak to the handicapper and make a plan as to how we get her to the Epsom, whether that be through the G2 Tramway S. or the G3 Bill Ritchie S.,” Richards said.
“We’ll probably have to train around the weather a bit, maybe have her ready to go in a couple of weeks, but if it’s wet we'll wait for the Bill Ritchie.”
Systems working well
Richards has become proficient with the systems in place at Te Akau to be training by remote from his Matamata base with staff member Ashley Handley on the ground in Sydney.
“We have faith in the team over there and rely on videos, temperature charts and feedback from jockeys who are galloping them over there,” he said.
“With all the technology available now it’s not too bad. Ashley is there and Craig Thornton gets out of quarantine next Monday as well to be helping out.”
Vernazza (black and yellow check)
Richards will also be watching Tuesday’s Randwick trials with interest with Vernazza (More Than Ready {USA}), Get Hitched (Lonhro) and Pazienza (Written Tycoon) all in action.
All raced by Cambridge Stud, Vernazza won the G2 Matamata Breeders’ S. last season and finished runner-up in the G1 Sistema S.
Get Hitched campaigned in Australia last winter for Team Hawkes before joining Richards and was a winner at Matamata in the autumn while Pazienza was a runaway 2-year-old winner at Trentham in March in her only appearance.
