5 Wins in 24 Hrs - Hello Bess Huge

Extending a terrific family tradition on the poly-track at Riccarton, Hello Bess (3 f Hello Youmzain – Niamh Elizabeth, by Per Incanto) recorded a debut victory in the $25,000 Happy Birthday Karen Maiden 1200 metres on 5 December.

A Te Akau homebred half-sister to stakes' placed winners Irish Red and Cu Chulainn and three-time winner Sorcha, all by Burgundy (Redoute’s Choice), Hello Bess had run home well in the straight for fifth when trialling on 18 November at Waipa, and sent south by trainers Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson, she was ideally drawn (2) to race well first-up.

Pushed out of the gates by Brazilian jockey Bruno Queiroz to secure a handy position, Hello Bess was poised in the trail before getting clear at the 400m and she displayed plenty of endeavour to reel in the pacemaker, Enchanted Delight, and stretch out to win.

Hammered in betting to pay $1.90, after opening at $3.40 fixed, Hello Bess ran 1200 metres on the poly-track in 1:12.2.

“It was a lovely ride of Bruno’s and a really good first-up win by the filly,” Walker said. “She had been very well educated at the trials up North, by the Matamata team, and it’s a family we know well.

“She was bred at Te Akau Stud with great friends Glenn and Cathie Holmes, so its' wonderful to get another winner for them, and the progeny of Hello Youmzain is really starting to hit their straps as three-year-olds. 

“It’s a family with a deep pedigree and one where the progeny continues to improve as four and five-year-olds.”

Owner/breeders Glenn and Cathie Holmes and Te Akau Stud also had success with the same family in August, when year older half-brother Celtic Bling (Embellish) capped four placed performances with a win on the poly-track at Riccarton, while siblings Irish Red and Sorcha shared four wins on the synthetic surface between them. 

It was Te Akau principal David Ellis CNZM that kicked things off when he raced Thrive (Colombia) with his good friend and breeder Ken Browne. 

Thrive was out of the dam of Niamh Elizabeth, Trove (Paris Opera), bred by Tom and Jane Lowry, from their Okawa Stud family, before being purchased by Browne, while third dam Fun (Three Legs – Enjoy, by Aythorpe) produced In Joyment (St Hilarion), who included six wins over staying distances and amassed stakes of $579,974.

A winner at her second start in New Zealand, In Joyment transferred to Gai Waterhouse, Sydney, where in 1998 she won the Group 1 Metropolitan Handicap (2500m).

Ellis purchased Niamh Elizabeth for $62,500 at the 2014 NZB Select Yearling Sale and she was a handy mare that won over 1200 metres at Matamata. Her first foal was Irish Red (Burgundy), a dual winner to 1400 metres and stakes' placed three times, while Hello Bess became her fifth individual winner of nine races. 

Te Akau had another recent winner by Hello Youmzain, when Mark Walker trained Signoretti to win in late November from the Cranbourne Stable in Victoria, for owners Cambridge Stud, and he followed up with a close third in the next grade.

A Cambridge Stud shuttle stallion, Hello Youmzain (Kodiac) carried its yellow and black chequered colours to victory in the prestigious Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes (1200m) at Royal Ascot.

An extremely well-bred colt on the Danehill (Danzig) sire line, out of a Shamardal (Giant’s Causeway) mare, Hello Youmzain won two Group One sprint races on his way to becoming a leading European sprinter.

Retired to stud in 2021, Hello Youmzain has produced 90 individual winners including seven stakes’ winners. 

 Hello Bess was strapped by Amelia Southworth.

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