Sparkling Te Akau Exhibition Gallops

Dual Horse of the Year Melody Belle  (6 m Commands - Meleka Belle, by Iffraaj) and Te AkauCaliburn (6 g Camelot - Enchanted Evening, by High Chaparral) had an exhibition gallop during the meeting on 20 January at Te Rapa.

Galloping at intervals, Melody Belle worked boldly over 1000 metres under rider Opie Bosson, in preparation for the Thorndon Mile (Gr. 1, 1600m) on 30 January at Trentham, while Michael McNab put Te Akau Caliburn through his paces ahead of the Wellington Cup (Gr. 3, 3200m) at the same meeting.

Not seen since a sell-out crowd came to see her win the Livamol Classic (Gr. 1, 2040m) in October at Hastings - recording her 12^thGroup One victory and one short of the all-time record held by Sunline (Desert Sun) - Melody Belle also had an exhibition gallop on 1 January at Ellerslie, and ran home strongly on terms with stable-mate Amarelinha (Savabeel) when trialling on 12 January at Matamata.

“Everything is going according to plan,” said trainer Jamie Richards. “She had a decent blow after the trial last Tuesday and we're taking the opportunity to get more work into her there today.

“She was keen to go quicker, so I'm glad we're taking the edge off her. We were treating it like a second trial and an opportunity to get her off the property, give her a spin around and tighten her up a little bit. She's probably five to 10 kilos above where I'd like her to be in terms of her racing weight but this will bring her on nicely and she looked to be doing some nice work.

“She's going as good as we've ever had her, I think. She is sound and happy and as she's got older she's eaten better and continued to work well. She has lost a little of her spring, or sharpness, and looking for a bit further, hence why she's kicking off at a mile.

“She was there to do a nice strong bit of work today, and Opie gave her a click down the shoulder and made her run through the line and that's exactly what we wanted her to do.”

Richards said that following the Thorndon Mile, Melody Belle would target the $400,000 Herbie Dyke Stakes (Gr. 1, 2000m) on Saturday 13 February at Te Rapa.

“That's the plan and we're pretty mindful of travel to Wellington and making sure she is fit and forward enough to handle it, and then the travel home and two-week turnaround into Te Rapa,” he said. “So, it's important she has a couple of extra decent gallops, a good strong trial, and hopefully she's right where she needs to be.”

Purchased by Te Akau principal David Ellis CNZM for $57,500 as a yearling at Karaka, Melody Belle has won 17 of her 35 starts and $4 million prize money.

Regarding Te Akau Caliburn, Richards said: “He ran well in the City of Auckland Cup without a lot of room over last couple of hundred yards. He's a horse that has had trouble with his soundness and, hence, why we can't race him as much as we'd like to. But, he had a good strong exhibition gallop over a mile today, with give in the ground which suits him, and it will bring him on well.

“If he relaxes and settles, I think he'll be a really nice chance over two miles in the Wellington Cup.”

Brave when second in the New Zealand St Leger (Listed, 2600m) at Trentham, Te Akau Caliburn was a European purchase by Te Akau principal David Ellis CNZM with Cups races in mind and he has developed into a lovely staying type.