Racing: Melody Belle shows more class despite defeat

Melody Belle ridden by Opie Bosson wins the TAB Empire Rose Stakes at Flemington Racecourse on November 02, 2019. Photo / Getty Images

The best run of Melody Belle's career may have ended in defeat but it told us something else about her.

That the superstar New Zealand mare might actually be world class.

She looked it at Flemington on Saturday when she came from 14th at the 800m to run Irish mare Magic Wand to a length in the A$2 million Mackinnon Stakes, meaning she has earned A$960,000 in just one week.

That would have almost certainly been a whole lot more had it not been for her wide barrier draw which gave jockey Opie Bosson little option but to look for cover and left her with simply too much to do after getting no real cart into the race.

She flew late but Magic Wand, backing up from the Melbourne Cup four days earlier, had a winning break.

But the track data showed Melody Belle had covered 29m more in the race and got within a length, which even allowing for Magic Wand being so far from home and on the short turnaround, suggests the Kiwi mare is at least as good as the winner if not better.

Which makes Melody Belle world class because Magic Wand has been competitive in some serious international races, like her second in the Irish Champion Stakes, second in the Arlington Million (even though it may not be the race it once was) and her fourth in the Cox Plate.

That doesn't mean Melody Belle is going to be jetting off any time soon to take on the actual best mares in the world like two-time Arc heroine Enable or Japanese darling Almond Eye.

But it suggests there would be serious races on the world stage, particularly mares or turf races, where Melody Belle would have a real shot at international success.

And that is something that only comes along once or twice a decade for Kiwi thoroughbred mares, something that has trainer Jamie Richards bursting with pride even is wondering what could have been.

"The draw killed us," says Richards.

"But how could we not be thrilled with her run? It was amazing."

Of course Melody Belle doesn't need to start crossing oceans to prove anything and being a mare there would be no real value in considering it.

So she will instead cross the Tasman Sea a few more times, the first time to come home at Matamata, the next to head back most likely to Melbourne for the A$5 million All Stars Mile in March.

Then Sydney in the autumn could be tempting but the real question will be whether her Fortuna Syndicate of owners want to keep racing her next season.

Owned by a small group or a stud she would probably retire but when syndicated mares retire they usually have to be sold for their breeding careers and for the members that means more money but less fun.

So maybe Australasian racing fans will get to enjoy more of Melody next season.

While she won the A$1million Empire Rose last week her second on Saturday capped a largely frustrating carnival for the Kiwis, who were dogged by bad draws, firm tracks or, in the case of Glory Days, injury.

The Bostonian looked a touch out-paced on the firm track in the A$2 million Darley Sprint on Saturday, Sir Charles Road below par in the Queen Elizabeth and Rondinella didn't live up to her market price in the A$300,000 Matriarch.

"We had no real excuse but maybe it was a touch too firm for her and she might be better when she can get her toe into the ground," said the latter's trainer Roger James.

Almost all the Kiwis who campaigned in Melbourne paid their way and then some and most will return home, except last season's New Zealand champion three-year-old Madison County who will head to the US to continue his career.