Written by Paul Vettise
Glamour girl Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands) completed a sensational season for all concerned when she won her fourth Group 1 title for the 2018-19 term with a comfortable victory in the Haunui Farm WFA Classic.
The Jamie Richards-trained mare has suffered only one blip when out of sorts at Trentham in the G1 Telegraph, but that’s a distant memory now as the 4-year-old has now earned the shortest of quotes for the New Zealand Horse of the Year title.
Melody Belle claimed the G1 Tarzino Trophy and the G1 Windsor Park Plate during the Hawke’s Bay spring carnival after successfully resuming in the G1 Foxbridge Plate.
“I guess she’s been the benchmark horse of the season, but you’ve still got to get out there and do it.” – John Galvin.
Following a break, she turned in a terrific run to finish third from a horror gate in the G1 Railway and bounced back from her Telegraph failure to win the G1 Waikato Sprint before her Otaki success.
“She’s just amazing. I guess she’s been the benchmark horse of the season, but you’ve still got to get out there and do it,” Fortuna Melody Belle Syndicate manager John Galvin said.
“It’s really special. At the start of the season if you said she would run in seven races and win four Group 1s and a Group 2 you couldn’t believe it.”
Bred by Marie Leicester, Melody Belle was purchased out of Haunui Farm’s draft at Karaka 2016 for NZ$57,500 by Te Akau principal David Ellis on behalf of Fortuna.
Melody Belle as a yearling
“At the start of the season if you said she would run in seven races and win four Group 1s and a Group 2 you couldn’t believe it.” – John Galvin.
Sharing in the glory was champion rider Opie Bosson, who now owns a full hand of New Zealand top-flight victories.
“I enjoyed that, it’s the only Group 1 here I hadn’t won before,” he said. “I haven’t ridden in the race a lot, but on this quality mare I knew I had a good chance.”
Bosson, whose career has been peppered by weight issues, had Melody Belle within striking distance of the leaders and turned widest into the straight.
“I enjoyed that, it’s the only Group 1 here I hadn’t won before.” – Opie Bosson.
“She didn’t jump as well as I had hoped, but we got into a good position,” said Bosson, who is unbeaten in four rides on the mare. “She travelled beautifully and at the 600 metre mark I knew we had a big chance.”
Melody Belle got to the front half-way down the straight and quickly put the issue beyond any doubt. She has now won 10 of her 19 starts and, with victory in the Manawatu Sires’ Produce S. as a 2-year-old, she has five Group 1 triumphs on her impressive CV.
“She is just a professional racehorse and her record shows that,” Bosson said. “You can ride her anywhere and she goes on top of the ground and in the wet.”
“She is just a professional racehorse and her record shows that.” – Opie Bosson.
Post-race indications are that Melody Belle will now be sent for a deserved and lengthy spell before thoughts turn to next spring’s endeavours.
Home track hope Wyndspelle (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}) ran his heart out for second and with his well-known dislike for soft ground, he performed way beyond co-trainer Johno Benner’s expectations. He had all but written off the gelding, only letting him take his chance as the race was on their doorstep.
Consensus (NZ) (Postponed {USA}) came off consecutive Group 3 wins to run third after making the running and the 3-year-old More Wonder (NZ) (Mossman) finished off well for fourth.
Quality mare Volpe Veloce (Foxwedge) ran eighth with rider Troy Harris reporting she didn’t handle the going while the Chris Waller-trained Endless Drama (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) had every chance, but was a spent force on straightening and beat only one runner home.
