Winning Treble - Bella Voce On Song

In the mould of her Champion Sire, Bella Voce (3 f Fastnet Rock – Keep On Singing) recorded a dominant victory in the $17,000 Entain/NZB Insurance Pearl Series Maiden Fillies & Mares 1200 metres (eligible $26,000 bonuses) on 5 June at Matamata.

Bella Voce had clocked the fastest last 600m (34.5) for second on debut over 1200 metres in December at Hastings, finished fourth over 1400 metres at Tauranga, and came out of midfield with a strong finish for second when resuming in the Maiden 3YO 1200 metres on 8 May, also at Matamata.

So the win looked close for the beautifully bred filly, and she duly delivered.

With Te Akau stable rider Opie Bosson ONZM aboard, who has been successful in 11 of his last 21 mounts, Bella Voce began well to park on the hindquarters of the leader, took over turning for home, and cut a pretty pictured when charging away to win powerfully by three and a half lengths.

“She was on the job and pretty keen early,” Bosson said. “She will be better ridden in behind them, but was too good for them ridden that way today.”

All the rage in betting, Bella Voce shortened from an opening fixed odds quote of $2.50 to pay $1.70 on the NZ TAB tote. On improving Heavy8 footing, she ran 1200 metres in 1:13.6, last 600m in 37.1.

“She appeared to have the race under control a long way from home and looked really good stretching out in the straight,” said Mark Walker, who trains with Sam Bergerson.

“She’s taken a bit of time to mature, but she’s certainly got ability and you’d expect her to continue growing in confidence with the win. 

“It was good to see her being able to quicken with give in the ground, which is a big help at this time of the year, and we can now look to a Saturday grade race from here.

“She’s developing into a big strong filly, has a beautiful pedigree, and it’s great to get a win early in her career.”

Owned by the Te Akau Singing Star Racing Partnership (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), Bella Voce was purchased by David Ellis CNZM, from the draft of Coolmore Stud, at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

“She is a tremendous example of Champion Sire Fastnet Rock (Danehill), a stallion that has helped shape the Australasian racing and breeding industry,” Ellis said.

Te Akau has experienced great success with progeny of Fastnet Rock (Danehill) – who commanded a stud fee of A$275,000 – especially through deeds of his greatest Group One winner Avantage (nine Gr. 1 wins), and other Group One winners selected and trained by Ellis/Te Akau in Rock ‘N’ Pop, Heroic Valour and Age of Fire.

Her dam, Keep on Singing (Hennessy) was a very fast mare that won five races from 1200 metres to 1700 metres and was stakes' placed over a mile in America. Her first two foals are winners including Group Three runner-up Violinist (Fastnet Rock). 

Taken with the successful cross of Fastnet Rock and Hennessy mares, Ellis was keen to secure her for New Zealand.

“Fastnet Rock is a Champion Sire and the bloodline cross with Hennessy mares has worked very well,” Ellis said. “Fastnet Rock has crossed very well with American blood, in general.

“She’s out of a Hennessy mare, out of Woodman mare, out of a Nureyev mare, so there is an enormous amount of quality sires in her distaff line.”

The filly has an interesting influence of the mare Crimson Saint on each side of her pedigree. Hennessey is a son Storm Cat, whose service fee peaked at $500,000, and Crimson Saint is his grand-dam. She features again in the pedigree of Fastnet Rock, as the dam of his dam sire Royal Academy. 

Crimson Saint was a flyer, with raw speed, and she is renowned for passing on blinding speed and also excellent physical balance to her descendants, and has become a hugely successful producer – and a dominant reason behind the success of the Fastnet Rock/Hennessy cross. 

“We bought her from one of the greatest studs worldwide, Coolmore, and it’s an ideal birthday present for one of her owners, John Elstob, who is celebrating his birthday today.

“He has shares with his wife, Denise, Westonlea Bloodstock, Michael Ormsby, Ben Kwok, Glenn and Catherine Holmes, and Cedel Downs Stud.”

Bella Voce was strapped by Mallesh Saddari.

Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz