2 Win Sunday - Bello Mio Beautiful

Capping a good weekend for experienced jockey Vinnie Colgan, Bello Mio (5 g Deep Field – Bella Francesca, by Master of Design) was deserved of victory in the $18,500 Rating 65 1400 metres on 3 November at Ashburton.

Colgan, who is approaching 1300 career wins, including 130 stakes wins, was successful a day earlier aboard Wild Night (Vanbrugh) for trainers Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson at Tauranga, when the former star three-year-old gave every indication of his old self to score dominantly in the Open Handicap 1300 metres.

A dual winner and placed to 1400 metres, Bello Mio went into the race rated a top three chance from barrier five, as a consistent performer, and after having to change ground from last before running on for sixth in the Rating 65 1400 metres on 12 October at Ashburton, won by stable-mate Vivacious (Dundeel),

After scoring earlier in the programme on Tempest (Frankel), Colgan must have been giggling when able to camp behind a break-neck speed in fifth. Bello Mio appeared to travel comfortably before improving into contention from the 600m and after gaining clear advantage inside the 300m he had enough in the tank to hold a couple of late closers at bay.

In the race sponsored by Barneswood Farm, named Dawn First to 1000 Jip Jip Rock, Bello Mio remained firm in betting to pay $4.10 & $1.90 on the NZ TAB tote, and ran similar time (1:23.5) to stable-mate Family Ties (Contributer) when winning the previous race over 1400 metres in 1:23.0. 

“He’s another horse that Dave (Ellis) bought out of the Ready to Run Sale, the same year that he bought Family Ties, who won the previous race, so that’s a great coincidence,” Bergerson said.

“I know the boys have done their homework for the Ready to Run Sale (20 & 21 Nov.), and it’s great advertising to have been getting quite a few recent victories with horses from those sales.”

Ellis also purchased recent winners Malmaison (Darci Brahma) and Can’t Kach Me (Eminent) from the Ready to Run Sales, and both obliged at the last meeting (26 Oct.) at Riccarton.

“He’s got a few tricks up his sleeve, Bello Mio, and not the easiest horse to manage, but he can certainly turn it on when things pan out for him and they did today,” Bergerson said.

“Hunter (Durrant) and the team have done well to get him back into the winner’s circle and the owners will be pleased.

“We wanted Vinnie (Colgan) to be positive from the gates, after he’d been getting too far back, and it was a lovely ride.

“He hit the front pretty early in the straight, and after such a hectic pace he was entitled to be getting a bit leg weary but he held on.

“I think he can take some confidence from the win and its good timing with Cup Week around the corner at Riccarton.”

Owned by Te Akau Deep Thinkers Racing Partnership (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), Bello Mio was purchased by David Ellis CNZM for $140,000 at the 2021 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale, from the draft of Kiltannon Stables. 

“He’s always been a nice athletic horse and some might say that he’d been just whacking away in his races over the past 12 months, but I think he’s actually been going a bit better than that,” Ellis said.

“He certainly deserved the win and it was a really good ride by Vinnie, so good on him. He’s always been one of the best jockeys in New Zealand.

“It’s also great to see these Ready to Run Sale horses performing so well, and I’d like to think that we’ll be able to buy a few nice horses a bit later this month (20 & 21 Nov.) at Karaka.

“We’ve bought Group One winners from the Ready to Run Sales and some other really good stakes winners, so I’m looking forward to it again.”

Bello Mio was strapped by Hunter Durrant. 

Photo credit - Ajay Berry - www.raceimages.co.nz