Richards_J_Melody_Belle_372.JPG. Melody Belle, seen here with trainer Jamie Richards, has gone from strength to strength over the last three years. Photo / Trish Dunell
Richards_J_Melody_Belle_372.JPG. Melody Belle, seen here with trainer Jamie Richards, has gone from strength to strength over the last three years. Photo / Trish Dunell
The thoroughbred racing season commences on August 1 each year so a new round of two-year-old and three-year-old gallopers compete on the track.
For many owners, particularly those who have bred their own horse, it has been a long journey of selecting a stallion, monitoring the mare's pregnancy over the best part of a year before foaling; then investing two to three years in the education and training of the youngster.
With such a wait you can understand the anxiety of expectation and enthusiasm for the first start at the races.
Back in October 2016, one of those first starters at Ruakākā's two years old race was Melody Belle. Melody Belle is the winner of nearly $2 million and the winner of 13 races, and a very short-priced favourite to add another Group 1 Livamol Classic to her trophy cabinet on Saturday.
How many of the owners have dreamed that they have the next Melody Belle?
Melody Belle, seen here streaking ahead of the pack at the Windsor Park Plate in Hawke's Bay last month. Photo / File
Someone who knows Melody Belle very well is her trainer Jamie Richards and he has Lady Roxanne entered for race one of the Tee Café Functions At Ruakākā Racecourse maiden. By the sire of the moment Darci Brahma, this two-year-old was an impressive winner at Cambridge where she led and seem to have an abundance of natural speed and good race manners.
Will Jamie Richards follow the same path as Melody Belle and aim to win the early maiden race after a trial and then race her sparingly until the feature summer meetings are upon us?
There will be high Ruakākā expectations as the training partnership of Kenny Rae and Krystal Tuhoro-Williams have three of the small field of six runners with locals Peter and Jan Bell in part-ownership of two – Eva James and Kash Queen. Eva James looked race ready when she led and won her recent trial at Ruakākā.
Finishing second to Eva James was the other Rae Racing stable's runner, Queen Of The Prom. Yes, she is related, in fact a full sister, to their very fast and quality Prom Queen that won all before her as a youngster. Judging from just one trial, Queen Of The Prom doesn't look like the natural speed machine of her sister. Taller and leaner her top speed showed she will win races but maybe be she will be even better for the late summer-autumn feature races.
Even with only six runners the first two years old race holds a lot of expectation for many owners.
Stable move
The Chris Gibbs and Michelle Bradley stable at Ruakākā have lost their recently crowned 2018/19 New Zealand champion middle distance horse Danzdanzdance to the Sydney stable of ex-pat Kiwi Chris Waller.
Melody Belle (inner) and Danzdanzdance fight out the finish of the Gr.1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes in March. Photo / Trish Dunell
Speaking on behalf of the ownership group, Kylie Bax explained the rationale behind the move.
"We have taken the decision to move Danzdanzdance to Chris Waller primarily to assess her future racing and breeding options in Australia," Bax said.
"Chris and Michelle have done a wonderful job to develop her into a genuine Group One contender and we can't thank them enough.
"She is however at a little bit of a crossroads as to where she goes from both a racing and breeding perspective, so we wanted to keep her in Australia to examine the best options for her, rather than bring her back to New Zealand, especially after her last start performance which certainly didn't go as planned."
Bax was referring to the mare's last place finish in the Gr.1 George Main Stakes (1600m) at Randwick a week ago where she trailed the field throughout in a lacklustre display.
There always seems to be a revolving stable gate for trainers; and perhaps the first starter Shotgun Sally, who recently won impressively a Ruakākā trial, will start her career with a victory on Wednesday and be their summer star. The team will also have strong chances with Sweet Sereia, Drops Of Jupiter and Red Dynamo, all three have been close up over the winter at Ruakākā.
Another Ruakākā trial winner, Finale, will no doubt lead and be hard to run down in the Doubtless bay Red Hat Ladies maiden race over 1200 metres. When she won her trial, Finale displayed great early speed but it will be the last 100 metres that might be a struggle first up.
