G1 Season Reflections - Melody Belle

In 2019, Melody Belle (6 m Commands - Meleka Belle, by Iffraaj) became an historical winner of the Hawkes Bay Triple Crown - winning all three legs: Tarzino Trophy (Gr. 1, 1400m), Windsor Park Plate (Gr. 1, 1600m), and Livamol Classic (Gr. 1, 2040m).

But for missing the Tarzino Trophy in 2020, she could have repeated the feat.

After the Queen Elizabeth (Gr. 1, 2000m) in April at Randwick, Melody Belle spelled in Australia, and returned home following the Winx Stakes (Gr. 1, 1400m) on 22 August. Freshened, she trialled on 22 September, three days after the Tarzino took place, and trainer Jamie Richards had her back on song to win the Windsor Park on 3 October.

A sell-out crowd came to see her win the Livamol Classic (Gr. 1, 2040m) on 17 October, and she did so in spine-tingling fashion.

In a victory that Fortuna Syndicate manager John Galvin called “imperious”, the reigning dual Horse of the Year remained unbeaten in seven Group One races on the course.

While back to her brilliant best a fortnight earlier in Windsor Park Plate, beating stable-mate Avantage (Fastnet Rock), who again finished runner-up, Melody Belle was breathtaking and made a smart field of horses pale in comparison.

Ridden by Troy Harris, from barrier 12, she was fourth last at the post with a lap to run, set alight from eight lengths astern at the 600m and simply smoked them in the straight. Melody Belle won easing down by two and three-quarter lengths.

“It's so hard to win Group One races,” said David Ellis. “There are a lot of trainers go a lifetime trying to win a group one and to quinella the race with these two great mares, who sleep next to each other in the stable, for the second start in a row in Group One, is hard to do and jolly exciting.”

Among her record-holding 14 Group One victories, Melody Belle scored at the ultimate level in the Empire Rose Stakes (Gr. 1, 1600m) at Flemington, immediately after securing the Triple Crown. She followed with a big run for second in the $2m Mackinnon Stakes (Gr. 1, 2000m). Back to her brilliant best in the Livamol warranted a second tilt, where she finished third in the $2m Mackinnon Stakes (Gr. 1, 2000m). Her two placed efforts in the race realising $563,000.

Once home, Richards freshened her for the Thorndon Mile (Gr. 1, 1600m) on 30 January at Trentham. She had exhibition gallops on 1^st and 20^th January, trialling between times on 12 January at Matamata, and looked hardest to beat.

In the same race won by her great-grandmother Honey Belle (Better Honey), Melody Belle took a step closer to the all-time Group One record when equalling 13 set by mighty mare Sunline (Desert Sun). She came from a handy position and proved too classy under rider Opie Bosson, recording his second win in the race and 79^th Group One.

“It was a very good win by a Champion mare and I'm really proud of everything she's been able to do for Te Akau Racing and the New Zealand racing industry,” said Jamie Richards.

“Her first run off a break, to win over a mile first-up is a massive effort. She had been looking good in training and she got the job done in great fashion.”

Backed off the board ($1.30) next time out in the Herbie Dyke Stakes (Gr. 1, 2000m), she had nothing go her way and finished ninth. The eagerly awaited Group One record would have to wait. 

Not long though.....a month later, and after reeling in the leader with a strong gallop when trialling at Rotorua, Melody Belle reached rarefied air, recording her 14^th Group One victory with a blistering performance in the Bonecrusher NZ Stakes (Gr. 1, 2000m) on Auckland Cup Day (13 March) at Ellerslie.

Like father like son, Troy Harris sat patiently at the rear aboard Melody Belle, a tactic made customary by his Hall of Fame father Noel Harris, and waited for the time to strike. Although bumped wide on straightening, she unwound an enormous finish and simply sailed by over the final 100m to win going away by one and a quarter lengths.

“She's a champion and champions bounce back,” said trainer Jamie Richards, referring somewhat to a shock defeat last time out in the Herbie Dyke Stakes at Te Rapa.

In the week leading up, Richards had said: “She throws one-hundred percent into all of her work, cantering or galloping or whatever she's doing. A lovely kind horse to have around the stable, but wants to get on with things when the jobs on. She is always waiting at her feed bin for a scratch and pat first thing in the morning, same place every day, and a wonderful horse to have around.”

The reigning dual Horse of the Year in New Zealand, Melody Belle won her first start as a two-year-old in 2016 and, basically, never stopped. Crowned Champion Two-Year-Old after winning the Karaka Million 2YO (Restricted Listed, 1200m) and Sires' Produce Stakes (Gr. 1, 1400m), she also won the Sires' Produce Stakes (Gr. 2, 1400m) at Eagle Farm (Brisbane). She recorded five Group Ones as a four-year-old, four in a row as a five-year-old, including an historical feat in the Hawkes Bay Triple Crown, followed with the Empire Rose Stakes (Gr. 1, 1600m) at Flemington, and a further four this season. 

The filly bred by Marie Leicester, purchased by David Ellis CNZM for $57,500 at the 2016 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale, from the draft of Haunui Farm, retired the winner of 14 Group One races (19 from 41 in total) and $4.3 million prize money, before selling as a broodmare for $2.6m.

“She's done one of the great families in New Zealand racing so proud, and she's the epitome of why horse racing is so incredibly exciting and potentially life changing,” Ellis said. “For all the owners, our staff at Te Akau Racing, and all the fans that have come to watch her race, she's set the record for Group One wins by a horse trained in New Zealand, and that will be very hard to beat.”

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In January this year, Richards completed the fastest training century in New Zealand, bettering the previous record by nearly three months. February saw the young trainer break the domestic stakes record of 25 in a season, and in April he broke the national record of wins (143) in a season.

He currently has 160 wins for 2020-21, including 15 Group Ones among 40 black-type victories (one with either group or listed status).

Te Akau principal David Ellis CNZM, the leading buyer of yearlings for the 16^th consecutive year at Karaka, purchased all seven Group One winners that Jamie Richards trained this season, and 11 of the 16 individual stakes winners.

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