MELODY BELLE – Super Star

The Fortuna Syndications Four Year Old Mare, MELODY BELLE (Commands-Meleka Belle), surpassed expectations at Ellerslie on 9th March. Her emphatic victory in the Group One Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes over 2000 metres, her fifth Group One Victory of the season, not only confirmed her status as the very best horse racing in New Zealand in the 2018/19 season, but elevated her status as a racehorse to within touching distance of some of New Zealand’s best ever gallopers. Fortuna’s John Galvin elaborates, “Five Group One victories in NZ in one season, not to mention a Group Two victory and a Group One third placing is right up there with the best of them in the modern era,” he said, ” from my research over the past few days, I can see that Bonecrusher and Ocean Park won five Group Ones in a season, while Sunline, Seachange, Mufhasa and Dundeel, all won four Group Ones in a season. To be fair many of the Group One victories of those horses were in Australia as well, but for MELODY BELLE to win five is something exceptional.”

There was some nervousness in the Camp pre race as rain tumbled down during the morning and early afternoon, turning a track that was looking like being a Dead 4 or 5 early on Saturday morning into a Heavy 10. MELODY BELLE was stepping up to the 2000 metre trip for the first time and while there was no concern about her ability to handle a heavy track, the track plus the extra distance were playing on the mind of connections. Plus the fact the her main race rival, fellow 4yo Mare, DanzDanzDance, had won over 2000 metres at Group One level at Ellerslie on Boxing Day, under very similar track conditions. Punters, however, remained confident in MELODY BELLE’s chances, sending her out a warm favourite at $2.60, although DANZDANZDANCE was not far behind at $3.20.

Drawn five at the barrier in a 10 horse field, rider Opie Bosson had MELODY BELLE  ticking along in the early running with just three runners behind her. Bosson got busy from the 600 metre mark, getting his charge to the outside and making a run as they turned for home – DANZDANZDANCE, in the hands of Craig Grylls, had her in her sights though and also mounted a run down the outside, MELODY BELLE hit the front 300 metres out a length clear of the other mare. DDD was not going to go down without a fight however and the two classy mares engaged in a two horse war, with DDD looking dangerous at about the 150 metre mark, however MELODY BELLE kept finding extra and fought off the challenge of the other mare, going to the post with a neck margin

Click HERE to see the race result and Video replay

MELODY BELLE defeats DANZDANZDANCE – Bonerusher NZ Stakes Ellerslie 9th March 2019

Fortuna Syndicate Manager John Galvin was effusive in his praise of the mare in his post race comments “She is a Super Star, who would have thought that just six weeks ago, she was the favourite for the Group One Telegraph at Trentham over 1200 metres and today she has come out and won at Group One level at 2000 metres – this has been a fantastic training effort by Jamie Richards and a super ride by Opie Bosson.” John also paid tribute to race rival DanzDanzDance saying, “Most of the pre race hype was predicting a two horse war by these two wonderful mares and so it proved – we wish Kylie Bax and her team all the very best for their Sydney endeavours with DanzDanzDance.”

The Ellerslie victory was Melody Belle’s 11th win from 20 starts, her 10th win at Group or Listed level, her 6th Group One Win and her total Stakes winnings were taken to $1,625,000, an amazing result for a Mare who was acquired as a Yearling for just $57,500

Bred by Marie Leicester, Melody Belle was acquired by David Ellis on behalf of Fortuna Syndications at the 2016 NZ Bloodstock Karaka Premier sale for $57,500

She is raced by the Fortuna Melody Belle Syndicate, a grouping of 34 individuals

Fortuna Melody Belle connections celebrating her victory