Star Mares Clash in Grp 1 Bonecrusher

The Informant reports:

With six Group One victories between them this
season, star mares Melody Belle and Danzdanzdance will meet for the
first time in a mouth-watering Gr. 1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes at
Ellerslie on Saturday.

Melody Belle has won four
Group Ones in a near-flawless campaign. Beginning in late August with
victory in the Gr. 2 Foxbridge Plate, she scored superb victories in the
Gr. 1 Tarzino Trophy and Windsor Park Plate during the Hawke's Bay
spring carnival.

After a bold first-up performance for third after a wide run in the Gr. 1 Sistema Railway at Ellerslie, she was 16^th in the Telegraph at Trentham in her only failure of the season.

“There's plenty of staying blood in her family, and she's a very genuine racehorse and ran the mile out strongly last time.”

The
Commands four-year-old has set the record straight in two subsequent
appearances, scoring superb wins in the BCD Group Sprint and Haunui Farm
WFA Classic. On Saturday she will step up to 2000 metres for the first
time.

“She won really well again at Otaki last
start, we were very pleased with her,” trainer Jamie Richards told The
Informant this week.

“Since then we've decided
that now would be a good time to give her a try at 2000 metres. It'll
give us a good indication of what options we might look at in the
spring.

“I don't see any reason why she won't see
out the distance. There's plenty of staying blood in her family, and
she's a very genuine racehorse and ran the mile out strongly last time
after covering a lot of extra ground.

“She worked nicely this (Tuesday) morning and looks in good form. Everything has gone to plan.”

Melody
Belle will again team up with Opie Bosson, who is unbeaten in four
rides on the Fortuna-owned star - the Karaka Million, Queensland Sires'
Produce Stakes, Mongolian Khan Trophy and Haunui Farm WFA Classic.

Bosson
is also a regular rider of Danzdanzdance, guiding her to four-length
victories in the Gr. 1 Captain Cook Stakes and Zabeel Classic in
December.

“We made an extremely late decision to
run in this race, so we fully understand that Opie's committed to Melody
Belle,” co-trainer Michelle Bradley said.

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