Burgundy Belle - Unbeaten

The third leg on Saturday of Te Akau's winning treble was Burgundy Belle who made it two from two  .....

Unbeaten filly Burgundy Belle (3 f Burgundy - Spin ‘N Grin, by Spinning World) became the third winner on the programme for leading trainer Jamie Richards on Saturday at Matamata, taking out the $22,500 Ancroft Stud Rating 65 1200 metres.

Beautifully bred, Burgundy Belle had romped away to win easing down by five and a half lengths on debut over 1100 metres on 6 December at New Plymouth, and again with Shafiq aboard she stepped up to beat a much stronger field.

“We got draw one and I was stuck on the rail, but I waited in the straight and once she was through she found another speed,” Shafiq said. “She wanted to kick on through and that was the main thing.”

While her first victory was certainly impressive, indication came when getting clear against the rail mid-straight, in the way she flattened out and the quality of her stretch, much higher honours beckon.

Indicators backed up by her pedigree: sire Burgundy (Redoute's Choice) won five stakes' races and finished third in the Telegraph (Gr. 1, 1200m), while dam Spin ‘N Grin was also a very smart performer, winning the Eight Carat Classic (Gr. 2, 1600m) and finishing second in the New Zealand Breeders' Stakes (Gr. 1, 1600m).

“It was a nice win and she's a lovely horse,” said Fortuna Syndicate manager John Galvin.

“We think she's a black type filly, potentially. She's very well related. We've owned a few of the family and they've done very well. We'll push on and the Mongolian Khan Trophy (Jan. 26, Ellerslie) has been talked about, but we'll see how she comes through this before we make a decision."

Commenting on the success of Shafiq in Fortuna colours, Galvin said: “It's amazing. I've lost track but it's something like eleven rides for seven or eight wins. We've won eight to ten races at Matamata, so it's fantastic to come back here and win again.

“I used to farm in the region, so this is my home club and thank you to Phillip and Catherine (Brown) for their sponsorship. Fortuna has had about 150 wins and every time we have a winner it's a thrill for me, more so for the owners who have taken shares in the horses, who without we (Fortuna) wouldn't exist.

“We have owners in Burgundy Belle that have taken shares in many of our horses and also some new owners as well, and it's a great thrill. John Hall has come up from Wellington, and since May John has had nine or ten starters and seven wins. We've bought a few of the horses out of Spin ‘N Grin and all of her offspring that have been to the races have won. We have a couple of them, Jack's Secret and Major Tom who race in Singapore (with Mark Walker), and been multiple winners.

“I think this girl (Burgundy Belle) is a bit special. Maybe a bit early to say, but not many come out and win a Rating 65 second-up after winning a Maiden. It is a rarity. Shafiq didn't panic and when the gap came she was good enough to win.

“Huge congratulations to Jamie (Richards) and his team for their hard work and to David (Ellis) who buys these horses, and hopefully this filly might be looking at stakes races soon.”

Te Akau principal David Ellis had a very strong hand in producing Burgundy Belle.

“I bought Spin ‘N Grin as a yearling for $65,000 out of the Premier Sale at Karaka, and Mark (Walker) trained her for Tom and Sue Roper,” Ellis said.

“I took her over to breed from and Karyn (Fenton-Ellis) and I actually bred this filly. She was sold at the sales to John Galvin and she looks like another stakes quality filly like Windborne and Darci's Dream that I bred and John's Fortuna Syndicate owners have raced.

“This filly is the fifth individual winner from Spin ‘N Grin and we've got a really classy Burgundy yearling colt at home from the mare that we've kept to race, and she's back in foal to Darci Brahma.

“I also bought Burgundy from the Pencarrow draft at Karaka, and he's doing a fantastic job as a young stallion. He's had the (New Zealand Bloodstock) Filly of the Year, Dijon Bleu, and even though his first three two-year-olds to race all won, he never raced as a two-year-old himself and most of his horses aren't precocious types. They're more the types to keep developing as nice three and four year olds and they do benefit with time. They're pretty good horses and the ones we've got we're very happy with.”

Burgundy Belle was strapped by Meg Lambert.

Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz