Trans Tasman Treble - Bellatrix Stars in Melbourne

The 'third leg' of the trans-Tasman treble was a black type win in Melbourne for talented filly Bellatrix Star - on a day of torrential rain and even hail, she shone brightly for Te Akau's Cranbourne stable and her owners Fortuna Racing ...

Eclipse Stakes (Gr. 2, 1200m) winner Bellatrix Star (3 f Star Witness – Alana’s Party, by Exceed and Excel) recorded a brilliant second-up victory in the $175,000 Cap D’Antibes Stakes (Listed, 1100m) on Saturday at Flemington.

Appearing muscled up and ready for action, having done well to finish fifth when resuming in the Quezette Stakes (Gr. 3, 1100m) on 17 August at Caulfield, Bellatrix Star had recorded both her wins as a two-year-old on Soft7 footing and received the exact same conditions.

Bellatrix Star was ridden again by Kiwi Michael Dee, who has enjoyed considerable success with trainer Mark Walker since setting up stables for Te Akau last season at Cranbourne, with stakes wins aboard Imperatriz (I Am Invincible) in the McEwen Stakes (Gr. 2, 1000m), Campionessa (Contributer) in the Peter Young Stakes (Gr. 2, 1800m), and Sans Doute (Not A Single Doubt) in the ATA/Bob Hoysted Stakes (Listed, 1000m).

Finalist for Champion Two-Year-Old last season in New Zealand, Bellatrix Star was let find her feet at the rear of a compact field by Dee, tracked up behind race favourite Drifting (Zousain) inside the 300m and once clear she charged home for an impressive victory. 

A winner of the first two-year-old race of the season last year, over 800 metres at Wanganui, Bellatrix Star ran 1100 metres in 1:05.9 on Soft7 track conditions and after drifting to $26.00 fixed odds she ended up returning $14.10 & $3.70 on the NZ TAB tote. 

“It’s basically New Zealand conditions today, it’s freezing, it’s wet, so she just loved it,” Walker said.

“She got a lovely run and Mick (Dee) presented her at the right time, so got all favours, but she was one of our better two-year-olds at home in New Zealand, and it’s encouraging that they can measure up in Australia.”

Since her resuming run in the Quezette Stakes (Gr. 3, 1100m), Bellatrix Star had been off the training property for a racecourse gallop. 

“We took her to Moonee Valley one morning to give her a look around that track, with the Scarborough Stakes (Gr. 3, 1200m) in the back of our minds, and she worked really well,” Walker said.

“But she just looked terrific in the yard today and we were very happy with her.”

Owned by Fortuna Bellatrix Star Syndicate (Mgr: John Galvin), she was purchased for $80,000 by David Ellis CNZM and Galvin at the Karaka 2023 Book 1 Sale, from the draft of Phoenix Park, and her three wins have yielded nearly $340,000 in prize money. 

In attendance with Fortuna runners at Riccarton, Galvin said: “We had 11 people in our group today at Flemington, with six owners and five guests. 

“Tania Gregory gave the speech on behalf of the owners, and those people have been messaging me saying just what an incredible experience it was to be at Flemington on the big stage and win a race like that with this lovely filly.

“If we go back and look at her form, on New Year’s Day in the Eclipse Stakes at Pukekohe, she beat both Velocious and Move To Strike and they have gone to be Champion Two-Year-Old, while Move To Strike won a Group One race.

“She suffered a bit of a shin setback after the Karaka Million, and didn’t get to contest the Group One races, so we spelled her, but I think the ability and talent was always there. 

“All credit to Mark (Walker), he said to me I think we need to send this filly to Australia. She’s and out and out sprinter and will get more sprinting opportunities in Victoria than she will here in New Zealand.

“It was a great call by him and also by the syndicate members to support the decision. It’s always a big call to take a young horse from New Zealand and throw them into the deep end in Australia, but she was very good when she resumed at Caulfield, in her first race for six months.

“She drew wide and finished fifth, not beaten far, and since then her work has been exceptional.

“While not overly confident today, I knew she would run a good race and tipped her out as a top three chance. 

“It’s a big stage (Flemington) and we’ve won there before with the wonderful Melody Belle, in the Empire Rose Stakes (Gr. 1, 1600m), and I’m just so happy for the ownership group that were there to experience it all. 

“It adds hugely to her residual value as a broodmare and I don’t think she’s done yet, by any means. 

“I was with some long-standing Fortuna clients, watching the race from Riccarton, and after getting the openings I said with 200m to go that I think she’s got this.

“She likes to get back and have one last crack at them, as she did at Pukekohe, and that’s how she was tipped out by the Herald Sun reporter during the week, who predicted she would actually do that.”

Stallion Star Witness (Starcraft) was a dominant winner of the Coolmore Stud Stakes (Gr. 1, 1200m), also down the straight at Flemington, before becoming a successful sprint sire in Australia.

Grand-sire of the filly, Starcraft (Soviet Star) is well known in New Zealand, having won two legs of the Group One Triple Crown at Hawkes Bay. He won Group One races in Australia, France, and England, and became a World Champion Turf Miler.

Dam Alana’s Party is by Australian Champion Sire and leading broodmare sire Exceed and Excel (Danehill), who made a name for himself over two decades of world racing and breeding – just an extraordinary sire whose winners have numbered over 5500, 370 stakes winners, including 17 individual Group One winners.

Grand-dam The Party Stand, by Stradbroke (Gr. 1, 1400m) winner Thorn Park (Spinning World), was an impressive winner from 1200m – 2000m, best around middle distances and included the N.Z. Stakes (Gr. 1, 2000m). 

On the back of earlier successes by Bellatrix Star, Ellis purchased her half-brother by Royal Meeting (Invincible Spirit) in March this year at the Melbourne Yearling Sale.

“Imperatriz also won the Eclipse Stakes, just like Bellatrix Star and it’s fantastic to see her win so well at just her second start in Australia,” Ellis said.

“Mark (Walker) and Ben (Gleeson) have done a fantastic job preparing her and she’s got plenty of improvement in her, too, looking at her coat in the parade ring.

“She was very good value buying, Bellatrix Star, and the two-year-old Royal Meeting colt named Royal Rendezvous has shown a lot already in our Melbourne stable.

“I’m always thrilled when Michael Dee rides a winner for us. He’s such a hard working young man, very talented jockey, was apprenticed to us for time in Matamata, and his father, Richard, is a great horseman and they’re a great family.

“Mick is one of the best riders in Melbourne, and we’re always happy to have him on.”

Bellatrix Star was strapped by Wyatt Jenkins. 

Photo credit - www.nzracingnews.co.nz