Ocean Belle of the Ball at Tauranga

Making it two wins from three starts, Ocean Belle (4 m Ocean Park - Xanadu, by Elusive City) powered home in great style to win the $10,000 Ultimate Mazda Rating 65 1300 metres on 30 September at Tauranga.

Beating subsequent impressive
dual winning stable-mate Vamos Bebe (I Am Invincible) on debut in the Maiden
1100 metres on 12 August at Taupo, Ocean Belle battled a touch second-up in
slow ground on 9 September at Matamata, and following second placed finishes
with stable-mates Rakuten (Savabeel) and Duby (Ocean Park) earlier on the
programme she gave leading trainer Jamie Richards another deserved success.

It was a good ride by Danielle
Johnson, who had to negate a wide draw (11) with the beautifully bred mare.
Tracking a genuine pace in ninth at the 800m, Ocean Belle travelled sweetly
before sighting daylight on the point of the home turn and she rounded up the
tiring pacemakers with aplomb.

She displayed good attributes
(ability to quicken and stretch) when winning on debut and they were again to
the fore and seemingly enhanced of better footing, which upgraded to Dead6
following race two.

“Drawing wider probably helped a
bit, giving us the opportunity to ride her off the speed and it was a very nice
ride from Danielle (Johnson),” Richards said. “She ended up getting on the back
of the favourite (second placed Naval Fleet (Declaration of War)), followed her
throughout, came across heels, and she quickened in well.

“She's quite a hard mare to get a
line on at home because she's not the most straightforward to train and hasn't
got the best of actions in track work when trotting up in the mornings, but
when she gets out on the grass she's good.

“She won with a bit of authority
and hopefully we can carry on with some confidence. We won't get too carried
away, but look to place her as best we can to keep getting wins on the board
and see how it plays out.”

Running the 1300 metres in a
competitive 1:17.1, Ocean Belle returned $5.00 & $1.90 on the TAB tote
($5.50 & $2.05 fixed).

Owned and bred by Robert Stewart,
John & Mike Gilbert, and Wessell Van der Scheer, Ocean Belle is the first foal
out of terrific dual Group 1 winning mare Xanadu (Elusive City), winner of the
NZ Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes (Gr. 1, 1600m) and Windsor Park Plate (Gr. 1,
1600m). A patiently handled mare throughout her career, Xanadu won six races
from 1200m - 1600m, placing an additional six times at Group 1 level. She was
Joint Top Filly on the 2012/13 NZ 3YO Free Handicap, excelled on a range of
footing from Good3 to Slow9, and won over half a million in prize money.

“Robert Stewart has been a good
supporter of the stables and great to get another nice win for him and his
fellow owners,” Richards said. “And each win helps with the value of the dam,
Xanadu, who was a top race mare.”

Ocean Belle was strapped by Trevor Stewart.

Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz

Back