Melody Belle Back in Swing

The Informant reports:

Melody Belle has returned to full work following time out from her spring heroics and is now being aimed at the Gr. 1 Sistema Railway at Ellerslie on New Year's Day.

The Jamie Richards-trained mare has a perfect three from three record this season with wins in the Gr. 2 Lisa Chittick Foxbridge Plate, Gr. 1 Tarzino Trophy and Gr. 1 Windsor Park Plate. After completing her hat-trick at Hastings on September 22 she was given a two-week break at Te Akau Stud followed by a week on the water-walker.

Melody Belle was back under saddle at the Matamata track this morning, looking fresh and bright as plans come together for her next Group One target.

“She enjoyed her time out and is in the right order for what's ahead,” Richards told The Informant.

“We haven't set anything in stone yet, but we could look at the trials here in late November and maybe a gallop between races at the local meeting in the first week of December.

“She'll go into the Railway first-up but she'll be ready - for a race like that she'll need to be.”

Under the set weight and penalty conditions of the big Ellerslie sprint, Melody Belle will carry 57 kilos. The Railway is run over the same 1200 metres as the Karaka Million that she won as a two-year-old in January 2017.