Te Akau Taupo Treble - Bella Caravella

Rounding out a hat-trick for the stable, Caravella (4 m Caravaggio – Highland Lights, by Fantastic Light) won the $18,500 Rating 60 1200 metres on 9 November at Taupo.

A beautiful grey mare, Caravella displayed that she had the ability to win more races when recording her Maiden win at a similar time last season.

Showing some indifferent form since, she indicated when running home for third in a trial behind speedster Babylon Berlin (All Too Hard) that a turnaround was imminent.

Drawn the ace, with Opie Bosson aboard, Caravella was box seated behind the leader and had no trouble getting away by one and a quarter lengths, while stable-mate Luxuriant (Iffraaj) closed strongly for third.

In the race named for the Poverty Bay Turf Club, Caravella ran 1200 metres in 1:12.8, on footing that remained Soft6 throughout the programme, and paid $3.30 & $1.40 on the NZ TAB tote.

Although the margin was less, she won with similar ease to stable-mates Balance Of Power (Almanzor) and Egyptian Queen (Zoustar) before her, giving trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson three at the meeting. 

“It was a satisfying win and the owners have been very patient,” Walker said. “The owners have given her plenty of time to mature and she’s just so much stronger now.

“You would think on the way she won today, with quite a bit of authority, that it won’t be her last win.”

Owned by Te Akau Night Skies Racing Partnership (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis), Caravella was purchased by David Ellis CNZM for $115,000 at the 2021 Karaka Book 1 Sale, from the draft of Wentwood Grange, who bred and owned the related former stable-mate Our Abbadean (Lookin at Lucky).

By Caravaggio (Scat Daddy), a fast racehorse who won four times as a two-year-old, and was Joint Champion 3YO Sprinter in Ireland, Caravella is a half-sister to Our Abbadean, a dual Group Two winner and twice Group One placed.

“Our Abbadean ran in all three legs of the Triple Crown during the Hawkes Bay Spring Carnival, and came of age as an older mare when winning the Awapuni Gold Cup (Gr. 2, 2000m) and Travis Stakes (Gr. 2, 2000m),” Ellis said.

“She was really good stakes' quality mare and the more wins Caravella can get on the board, the more valuable she becomes. 

“It’s a good family and Wentwood Grange is one of the very astute breeding operations in our industry.”

Caravella carries a Nijinsky cross through the sire-lines in her pedigree.

Caravella was strapped by Sophie-Ann Clayton.

Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz