Exceptional Mares Target Te Rapa Group Ones

Raceform's Richard Edmunds reports:

“She's coming up to the end of her career now, so we're looking forward to a little bit of a farewell tour in these last starts.”

Melody Belle is aiming for her 14th Group One victory on Saturday.

Jamie Richards and Te Akau Racing have taken Te Rapa's ‘Legends Day' theme to heart, targeting Saturday's big raceday with the two most prolific Group One winners in stable history.

Between them, Melody Belle and Avantage have won an astonishing 19 Group One races in less than five years. Purchased by David Ellis at Karaka for a combined total of $267,500, the magnificent mares have together amassed almost $6 million in stakes.

Melody Belle alone has racked up 13 of those Group One wins, equalling the legendary Sunline's all-time record for a New Zealand-trained thoroughbred. She can take sole ownership of the record at Te Rapa on Saturday, where she lines up as a $1.30 favourite in the $400,000 Herbie Dyke Stakes.

Richards reported to RaceForm this week that the remarkable daughter of Commands has made excellent progress since she resumed with a strong victory over race rival Sinarahma in the Thorndon Mile at Trentham on January 30.

“She's spot on,” he said. “I've been very happy with her over the last couple of weeks. She's taken plenty of improvement out of that first-up run in the Thorndon, which has been great to see, and she's certainly going the right way. She worked well this (Tuesday) morning.

“It would be very special if she could make that Group One record her own on Saturday. She's done a wonderful job for us, the Fortuna Syndicate and all of the team here. She's coming up to the end of her career now, so we're looking forward to a little bit of a farewell tour in these last starts.

“We haven't yet made any plans for this campaign beyond the Thorndon and the Herbie Dyke. We'll get through Saturday, then sit down with John (Galvin, syndicate manager) and work out what else we might do with her before she's retired.”

Although she has spent much of her career in Melody Belle's shadow, Avantage boasts six Group One titles of her own. With scintillating sprint victories in this summer's Railway and Telegraph, she has surpassed the Group One tallies of previous stable stars such as Darci Brahma and Princess Coup.

Avantage also placed in all three Group One races during the Hawke's Bay spring carnival, running third in the Tarzino Trophy before being runner-up behind Melody Belle in the Windsor Park Plate and Livamol Classic.

One of the Fastnet Rock mare's most impressive attributes is her versatility, winning Group One races over distances ranging from 1200 all the way up to 2000 metres.

The 2018 Manawatu Sires' Produce Stakes is her only Group One victory so far over 1400 metres, but Richards believes she is in the right order to add Saturday's BCD Group Sprint to her trophy cabinet.

“We've been very pleased with her,” Richards said. “A month between races, with a very good exhibition gallop at Te Rapa last Wednesday, has been an ideal preparation for this race.

“I think she's heading into this right at the top of her game - which she's going to need to, coming up against Levante.”

A rising star of the Te Akau stable will have her chance to shine in the appropriately named Gr. 2 David & Karyn Ellis Fillies' Classic.

Amarelinha burst to prominence with victories in two of her first three starts, including a dominant performance in the Gr. 2 Eight Carat Classic on Boxing Day. In her only subsequent appearance, the daughter of Savabeel was narrowly beaten by the unbeaten Aegon in a memorable Karaka Million 3YO Classic.

“She's come through that big race in very good order,” Richards said. “I've been pleased with her. Her work has been solid.

“I think the step up to 2000 metres this weekend should suit. She's by Savabeel from a real New Zealand family, and there's no reason to think she can't get up over a bit of ground - at least against her own age and sex.”

Not far behind Amarelinha in the Karaka Million 3YO Classic was stablemate Perfect Scenario, who defied $33 odds with an eye-catching fifth.

The son of Iffraaj will test his credentials for next month's Gr. 1 New Zealand Derby at Ellerslie with a run in Saturday's Gr. 2 Legacy Lodge Waikato Guineas.

“The Karaka Million 3YO Classic was probably a career-best performance from him, he ran a big race that day,” Richards said. “He's done everything right since then and seems to be in good shape. He did some good work with Amarelinha this morning. He might be a sneaky each-way chance on Saturday.”

While Saturday looms as another spectacular day for the tangerine juggernaut, and a celebration of two queens of New Zealand racing, it will also be poignant.

One of the undercard races is named in honour of Te Akau Shark, who scored his first Group One victory with a three-length romp in the BCD Group Sprint at this meeting last year.

Earlier this month, the Te Akau team announced that the super-talented chestnut had been put down due to deteriorating health.

“Thinking back to what he did on this day last year, there'll definitely be a tinge of sadness when we head back to Te Rapa on Saturday,” Richards said.

“He didn't deserve that, but you have to put the horse's welfare first and we didn't want him to be living in pain. We were lucky to have him, and we've got some very special memories of what he did for us.

“We'll have Burgundy Rose and Festivity in the race named for him on Saturday."