Tattersall’s Tiara proves the perfect fit for star mare Bella Nipotina
Ciaron Maher-trained six-year-old the belle of the ball in final Group 1 of the season
Bella Nipotina (Pride Of Dubai) capped off another stellar campaign with a hugely impressive success in Saturday’s Tattersall’s Tiara (Gr 1, 1400m) at Eagle Farm, the final Group 1 of the Australian racing season.
Having run fourth behind fellow star sprinter Imperatriz (I Am Invincible) first-up in the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (Gr 1, 1000m) at Flemington on February 4, the six-year-old was making her ninth outing of this preparation, but looked like a mare making her first start as she blitzed her 16 rivals to record a third elite-level success.
A deserved winner of the Doomben 10,000 (Gr 1, 1200m) three starts previously, Bella Nipotina had since run a pair of seconds in both the Kingsford Smith Cup (Gr 1, 1300m), 0.4 lengths behind I Wish I Win (Savabeel), and Stradbroke Handicap (Gr 1, 1400m), 0.3 lengths behind Stefi Magnetica (All Too Hard), when conceding a whopping six kilograms.
That form looked strong in the context of Saturday’s race and it seems punters took that view, with the daughter of Pride Of Dubai (Street Cry) sent off the $2 favourite to double her Group 1 tally for the season.
Ridden for the first time by Ryan Maloney, with regular rider Craig Williams absent due to his latest humanitarian effort in war-ridden Ukraine, the Ciaron Maher-trained mare jumped well from barrier 15 and sat fourth, just behind the speed, for the opening 1000 metres.
Turning for home, Bella Nipotina loomed up travelling strongly under Maloney and, after being asked to chase down long-time leader Bubble Rock (More Than Ready) entering the final 300 metres, quickened to the lead inside the final 200 metres before being merely pushed out by her rider to beat Semana (Winning Rupert) by a comfortable 1.1 lengths, providing a quinella for the Maher stable.
The Tony Gollan-trained Bubble Rock, who had taken up the lead after the first 200 metres of the contest, bravely held on for third, beaten 1.4 lengths by the dominant winner.
“To do what she has done, I thought we’d come up here for one run and maybe have a crack at 14 [1400 metres] in the Tiara,” the winning trainer said.
“To run in all four [Group 1s] and be as good in the last as she was in the first, phenomenal. And that’s on the back of going to Perth, running in the autumn in Sydney.”
Bella Nipotina’s durability has also seen her run fourth in The Quokka (1200m), her only start outside of Group 1 company this preparation, and second in the TJ Smith Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m), and Maher revealed the mare will now head for a well-earned break before being targeted at the $20 million The Everest (1200m) at Randwick on October 19.
“She was an emergency last year [in The Everest], she is probably going better this year,” Maher said.
“We will work back from The Everest, she probably has a run beforehand, and she will go back out now and freshen up.”
For Maloney, Saturday’s victory provided him with a second Group 1 of the Queensland Winter Carnival having scored aboard $101 outsider Socks Nation (Sioux Nation) in the Queensland Oaks (Gr 1, 2200m), and he admitted Bella Nipotina provided him with a dream ride despite having a lack of cover during the race.
“In the end it really didn’t matter [no cover], she just toyed with them,” Maloney said.
“She got into a nice enough rhythm and good horses do what they do, they just know how to win. It certainly makes your job a lot easier and a lot more enjoyable.”
Semana provided Maher with the quinella in Saturday’s event and the four-year-old daughter of Winning Rupert (Written Tycoon) has now placed in Group 1 races on three of her last four outings.
“I followed her [Bella Nipotina] everywhere and she just dropped me, but my girl’s all heart and she’ll get a well-deserved Group 1 soon,” Dylan Gibbons, who rode Semana, said.
Saturday’s result took Bella Nipotina’s record to nine wins and a further 23 placings from 52 starts, with $10,976,625 earned in prize-money.
Bred by Michael Christian and partners at Longwood Thoroughbred Farm, who retain a share in her ownership, Bella Nipotina (6 m Pride Of Dubai – Bella Orfana by Star Witness) was purchased for $80,000 by Lindsay Park Racing, Andrew Williams Bloodstock, and Mt Hallowell Stud from the Rosemont stud draft at Book 1 of the 2019 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale.
A half-sister to three-time winner Bella Sorellina (Capitalist), she is the best of two winners to come out of the Star Witness (Starcraft) mare Bella Orfana, herself a half-sister to Group scorers Hallowell Belle (Starcraft) and Fuddle Dee Duddle (Red Ransom) being from the family of Caulfield Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) winner In Top Swing (Beautiful Crown).
Bella Orfana died earlier this year, with her final foal a weanling filly by Trapeze Artist (Snitzel).
Meanwhile, Coolmore Stud stallion Pride Of Dubai currently sits third on the Australian General Sires table behind only I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit) and Zoustar (Northern Meteor), having also enjoyed Group 1 success with runaway Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) winner Pride Of Jenni and Captain Cook Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) scorer Desert Lightning this season.
Depth Of Character sets up big spring campaign with Tattersall’s Stakes success
A step up to Group level in the spring looks to be on the cards for Depth Of Character (Deep Field) after the Annabel Neasham-trained colt produced a powerful finishing effort to land Saturday’s Tattersall’s Stakes (Listed, 1400m) at Eagle Farm.
Having shown promise in a trio of trials, the son of now retired Newgate Farm stallion Deep Field (Northern Meteor) ran out a surprise $21 winner on his debut in a 1250-metre event at Canterbury on May 29, scoring by a length.
Immediately stepped up to stakes company on his next start, the colt proved that debut win to be no fluke as he ran a strong third in the Oxlade Stakes (Listed, 1300m), beaten just 2.4 lengths by the winner Megastar Heart (Star Turn).
Turned out a fortnight later for Saturday’s Listed event, Depth Of Character found himself struggling for racing room under Tom Sherry entering the final 300 metres.
However, switched back inside by his rider, he came home strongly inside the last 200 metres to overhaul Steel Strike (Exceed And Excel) and win by 1.2 lengths with a further 0.3 lengths back to Maili (Yes Yes Yes) in third place.
Neasham revealed post-race that Depth Of Character will now head to the paddock for a break before returning for a spring campaign.
“He’s a nice colt, I presume he’ll go to the paddock off the back of that,” the winning trainer said. “He’s going to be a lovely three-year-old, and I think the mile will not be a problem for him.
“With his couple of runs up here, he’s just going to come on so much from that. He had to race in restricted room today, and he had to take a gap to get through late, and he was very impressive. He’s a really exciting colt for the stable.”
Winning rider Sherry echoed the trainer’s thoughts on Depth Of Character’s progression, and also feels there will be plenty more to come in his three-year-old season.
“He’s a quality horse, I had a lot of confidence in him today,” Sherry said. “He ran really well here two weeks ago, he showed nice progression here today. The 1400 metres really suited him.
“It was a bit of a muddling race through the mid-pack, but when he balanced up and got through, he really let down well.
“He’s got a lovely attitude. I think he’ll be even better in six months. He was well placed today in a race like that, and it’s always good to get the win for a good bunch of owners.”
Depth Of Character (2 c Deep Field – Caricature by Power) was purchased for $180,000 by his trainer from The Chase draft at last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Bred by China Horse Club, the colt is the second winner from as many foals out of the Group 3-placed winning mare Caricature (Power), who also ran fourth in the 2018 New Zealand Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m).
A $600,000 purchase for China Horse Club at the 2016 NZB Karaka Premier Yearling Sale, Caricature is out of the Group 1-placed multiple winner Octapussy (Octagonal) making her a half-sister to Group 2 winner Pussy Willow (O’Reilly), and Listed scorers Inside Agent (Stravinsky) and Pussy O’Reilly (O’Reilly), with the latter being the dam of the Group 3 winner and New Zealand Oaks runner-up Positivity (Almanzor).
Caricature currently has a weanling filly by Zoustar and was covered by Russian Revolution (Snitzel) last spring, while Deep Field’s individual stakes winner tally moved to 33 courtesy of Depth Of Character’s success.
Femminile comes from clouds to take out Oaklands Plate
The application of blinkers worked a treat for Femminile (Dundeel) as the Phillip Stokes-trained filly gained her maiden stakes success in Saturday’s Oaklands Plate (Listed, 1400m) at Morphettville – although she left it late to do so.
Having run sixth on her racetrack debut in a 1400-metre event at Sandown-Lakeside on June 6, the daughter of Arrowfield stallion Dundeel (High Chaparral) was sent off a $26 outsider for this weekend’s Listed contest.
Ridden by Kayla Crowther and racing in the unmistakable silks of OTI Racing, the filly was last of the 14-strong field and pushed along rounding the home bend.
Coming wide and eventually ending up on the stands’ side rail, Femminile looked to have little chance of winning with 300 metres left to race and was actually out of camera shot until after the 200-metre pole.
However, under a determined drive from her rider, the filly produced a stunning late rally and flew home to collar Colmar (Strasbourg) in the final strides, coming with so much momentum that she actually scored by 1.5 lengths, with the same distance further back to Bushann (Stratum Star) in third.
Stable representative Tommy Stokes admitted the winner seemed to handle the Heavy 9 surface better than a few of her rivals, and also revealed she will now head for the SA Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 3, 1400m) back at Morphettville on July 20.
“She’s a horse with a stack of ability and seemed to have got through the ground very well,” he said.
“Full credit to the Pakenham team as she only arrived two days ago so we’ve just kept her happy since then and now she’ll go to the Sires’ Produce and we’ll probably tip her out after that.”
Femminile (2 f Dundeel – Femme Fireball by Pierro) was a $150,000 purchase for her trainer and Rick Connolly Bloodstock from the Vinery Stud draft at last year’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
Bred by Aralet Pty Ltd, she is the first foal out of the stakes-placed winning Pierro (Lonhro) mare Femme Fireball, herself a sister to Group 3 winner and Group 1 placegetter Rock.
Vinery Stud sold a yearling filly by Bivouac (Exceed And Excel) from Femme Fireball to Bennett Racing at this year’s Inglis Easter for $140,000, while the mare also has a weanling filly by Darley shuttler Pinatubo (Shamardal) and is now in foal to So You Think (High Chaparral).
Femminile’s success on Saturday made her the 30th individual stakes winner for Dundeel, who has had 564 starters to date.