Group 1 winner Belclare to be offered at Magic Millions
Fresh from her historic second win in Saturday’s New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m), Belclare (Per Incanto) will be offered at the upcoming Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale at the Gold Coast.
The stable star for premiership-winning trainer Lisa Latta, Belclare will go under the hammer as an exciting racing and breeding prospect as part of the Bhima Thoroughbreds draft on the opening day of next month’s National Broodmare Sale.
Following the six-year-old’s 1.5 length win over Town Cryer (Tavistock), Latta said: “It’s been a really nerve-racking day, considering it’s likely to be her last race for us.
“The owners have been so loyal, and to go out on a winning note in this race, it couldn’t be better.
An 11-time winner and earner of over NZ$980,000 from 36 starts, Belclare was bred by her part-owner David Woodhouse.
“It certainly was a great win,” Woodhouse said of Saturday’s victory at Ellerslie. “The biggest thrill of my career, absolutely.”
Woodhouse said there was much planning into the mating that produced his multiple Group winner, who is out of the stakes-performed winner Miss Rhythmic (O’Reilly).
“Sam Williams told me way back with Per Incanto that the O’Reilly mare cross was working well. So I got Bruce Perry to find me an O’Reilly mare and he came up with Miss Rhythmic and I liked that she went back to Olga’s Pal.
“We bought her and at the time Tavistock was firing and we didn’t have any luck with her first foals and the first season she was sent to Per Incanto, Belclare was the result.”
Woodhouse believes Belclare will be a success as a broodmare.
“She’s not a huge mare – she’s a great style of horse – strong, muscly – a typical Per Incanto, they are nicely made horses.
“Belclare is a beautifully natured horse and she will look good come sale time on the Gold Coast.”
The owner-breeder said it would be an emotional time for himself, and fellow connections, come sale day.
“We will be on the Gold Coast and my wife said she will cry her eyes out! We have never had a horse like her – sure we’ve had some nice horses, but she’s another level.
“We still have her mother, a sister at home and also a half-sister in foal to Noverre. I hope she can carry her racing form to the breeding barn.”
Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch was delighted by the latest addition to the catalogue, which is set to be released shortly.
“Belclare is a welcome addition to what will be a remarkable catalogue,” he said. “We will have a catalogue packed with stakes-winning stars and we look forward to presenting them to an international audience.”