Te Akau Stable Star Of The Month - June

The “Queen of New Zealand racing”, Melody Belle (6 m Commands - Meleka Belle, by Iffraaj) has run her last race, but that is far from sad.

It could have been if a $3.25m offer was accepted in 2019, but that was not the case.

At the completion of her four-year-old season in 2019, a period that realised five Group One victories, owners in the Fortuna Melody Belle Syndicate, managed by John Galvin, were offered the money. She had won 11 of her 20 starts and $1.64 million prize money.

At the time, Galvin said he was “humbled” as syndicate manager that owners wanted to continue racing the star mare “until such time as she was ready to retire from racing”. The rest is history.

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.

The maths looks pretty good, now, thanks to an impartial decision in 2019 that took into consideration what she meant, not only to the owners, but to fans in the New Zealand racing industry.

Once dubbed “mini Winx”, she is far from insurmountable. While Winx (Street Cry) sits clearly atop as international Group One record-holder with 25 Group One wins, Melody Belle is fifth equal, only one short of Black Caviar (Bel Esprit), who recorded 15 in an unbeaten career of 25 starts. 

In January at Trentham, Melody Belle equalled the national Group One record of mighty mare Sunline (Desert Sun) when winning the Thorndon Mile (Gr. 1, 1600m). “She stands alone after climbing the equine Everest”, said commentator Tony Lee.

In March, on Auckland Cup Day (13 March), at Ellerslie, the reigning dual Horse of the Year surpassed the record and made it 14 with a blistering performance in the Bonecrusher NZ Stakes (Gr. 1, 2000m).

Remarkably, she was unbeaten in seven Group Ones at Hastings, and matched the herculean Winx when winning seven Group One races in a calendar year (2019), after Winx achieved the feat in 2018. Other than her debut win as two-year-old at Ruakaka, all 18 were in stakes races. 

Tradesman like professionalism has been used to describe her attitude to racing, not unlike that possessed by Winx. Each seems to harbour a knowingness of just what lay ahead, the focus required, and drummed up adrenalin to win.

The Belle family was started in 1939, when parents of Marie Leicester, James and Annie Sarten, bred Belle Fox. 

“Belle Fox had two fillies,” Leicester said. “One was called Belle Time, by Summertime, and the other was Belle Rosa, by Instinct. Dad gave mum Belle Rosa and he kept Belle Time.

“I think virtually everything I'm breeding in the Belle family has Sir Tristram blood in it, because we had a share in Sir Tristram. And we also had a share in Zabeel, so they either have one or the other in their pedigrees. So, that Sir Tristram staying, aggro, blood is there.

“Dad always stressed to me, never count the cost of the service fee because once the foal arrives on the ground it's going to cost the same for the blacksmith, vet, training, everything, and he always said that the mare's input was seventy percent of the foal anyway. That's what he brought me up on and always reckoned.

“When I sent Meleka Belle over to Commands, I wanted to cross the Belle family with Patrick's (Sir Patrick Hogan) family because I reckoned there were no better families in New Zealand, and Melody Belle was the result.”

Regarding the mating of Meleka Belle to Commands, to produce Melody Belle, Leicester said: “I'd always wanted to send a mare to Commands, and every time I saw him in Australia I'd fall in love with him a bit more. I loved his pedigree and everything about him. I thought Meleka Belle was the ideal mare to go to him, and Commands actually died before Melody (Belle) was born. 

“You get fixations about stallions, and with Commands it was (Sir) Patrick's family on the dam side and Danehill on the other side, so why would you not want to send a mare to him?

“It was a mating I'd always wanted to do, but felt I needed the right mare and thought Meleka (Belle) was the right mare.

“Melody Belle is a tough little girl; well most of the Belle fillies are tough. They've got that toughness in them and that determination. She's a good workmanlike filly and tough. They take a fair bit of work and they just seem to relish it. 

“The Belle family seems to keep popping up and they give us great joy, and I'm very, very proud of them, but Melody Belle is the ultimate champion.”

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