4 Victoria Wins in 24 Hours - Melody's Girl

The first foal out of Te Akau bought and trained dual Horse of the Year and Hall of Fame inductee Melody Belle, Lyrics ‘N’ Song (3 f Written Tycoon – Melody Belle, by Commands), easily won the A$45,000 Challenge Plate 3YO 1200 metres on 31 October at Cranbourne (Victoria).

After winning a jump out on her home course at Cranbourne, Lyrics ‘N’ Song produced a very good effort after leading for close second when debuting in the Maiden 3YO Fillies 1200 metres on 3 October at Moonee Valley, and rated a top three chance.

Ridden by Kiwi jockey Michael Dee, Lyrics ‘N’ Song began well from barrier six to sit second, went forward to level turning for home and with a turn of foot her mother would be proud of, she raced away to score effortlessly by two and a quarter-lengths. 

“She took benefit from the first run, fitness wise, and she faced lesser company here tonight,” Dee said. 

“She’s always brilliant from the gates, travelled lovely, and she won with plenty in hand. She is still green, but she’ll get there eventually.”

On Good4 footing, Lyrics ‘N’ Song ran 1200 metres in 1:12.2 and dominated betting to pay $1.60 on the NZ TAB tote. 

Lyrics ‘N’ Song was bred and owned by Yu Long Investments, after owner Mr Zhang purchased Melody Belle at the completion of her racing career for A$2.6 million.

Melody Belle was mated with Yu Long Stud nine-time Champion Sire Written Tycoon (Iglesia), with Lyrics ‘N’ Song the resultant foal. 

“It’s terrific to get that win tonight for Mr Zhang and the Yu Long team,” said trainer Mark Walker.

“Obviously, Melody Belle meant a lot to the stable and to be entrusted with training her first foal is a great honour. 

“She’s definitely inherited some of mum’s ability and it was a really emphatic win. It was very satisfying and I think a lot of the Te Akau team, over the years, that had anything to do with Melody Belle will be really proud of the result.

“It was a lovely ride of Mick Dee’s and she’ll head to better races, now. We’re very grateful to Mr Zhang and the team at Yu Long for their support and it certainly is a special win.

“And the beauty of racing here at Cranbourne, in five minutes they’re home and eating their dinner, so I think she’ll recover from this very well.

“She’s going to furnish into a nice filly, especially in the autumn, but I’ll have a chat to Troy Stephens, tonight’s win was pretty soft and I’m sure she can go again somewhere and, eventually, black type, that’s the name of the game.”

Te Akau principal David Ellis CNZM has bought a lot of champion racehorses over the years, but Melody Belle is hard to go past on many levels. 

From the incredible Belle family, bred by Marie Leicester, prepared and offered for sale by Haunui Farm, Ellis bought Melody Belle for $57,500 at the 2016 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale.

Owned by Fortuna Melody Belle Syndicate (Mgr: John Galvin), she won on debut in October of her two-year-old season at Ruakaka, became the first of seven consecutive, and eight in total, $1 million Karaka Million 2YO (Restricted Listed, 1200m) winners purchased by Ellis. She capped her juvenile year winning the Group 1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m), and Group 2 Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Eagle Farm, Brisbane, en route to becoming Champion Two-Year-Old.

At three, she became the first Karaka Million 2YO winner since its inception 10 years earlier to win at the Karaka Million meeting a year on, when successful in the Group 3 Mongolian Khan Trophy (1200m).

Early in her four-year-old season she won the Group 1 Tarzino Trophy (1400 metres) at Hastings, commencing a record that must surely stand forever, whereby remaining unbeaten in seven Group One races from as many starts on the course.

During 2019, she became the historical and since unmatched Triple Crown winner at Hastings, during a calendar year that contained seven Group One wins, including the Group 1 Empire Rose (1600m) at Flemington, matching the great Winx (Street Cry) for record number of Group One wins in a year.

She equalled the domestic Group One record (13) of mighty mare Sunline (Desert Sun) when winning the Group 1 Thorndon Mile (1600m) in 2021, and set a new mark (14) when winning the Group 1 Bonecrusher NZ Stakes (2000m). 

She retired the winner of 14 Group One races (19 from 41 in total) and $4.3 million in prize money, before selling as a broodmare for A$2.6 million.

Lyrics ‘N’ Song was strapped by Rachel Ames.