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The only yearling by Arrowfield Stud sire Not A Single Doubt entered for this week’s NZB National Yearling Sale at Karaka is certain to a showstopper following Saturday’s Ellerslie win by her 3YO half-sister Melody Belle.
Commands filly Melody Belle, winner of last year’s Karaka Million, added the G3 Mongolian Khan Trophy to her record for her fifth win in 10 starts.
The Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards-trained won by a convincing three and a half lengths in a big boost for her yearling sibling to be offered by Haunui Farm on behalf of Melody Belle’s breeder Marie Leicester on third day of Book One as Lot 371 on Tuesday.Jamie Richards said the Melody Belle could now be aimed at the G1 BCD Group Sprint at Te Rapa on 10 February and may visit Australia during the autumn.Melody Belle, a G1 winner as a 2YO, is the only foal to race out of the winning Iffraaj mare Meleka Belle.
She cost only $NZ57,500 at the 2016 Karaka Premier Sale when purchased by Te Akau principal David Ellis and has won more than $910,000 prizemoney for the Fortuna Melody Belle Syndicate.An upset win by 3YO gelding Scott Base in the Karaka Million 3YO Classic at Ellerslie on Saturday provided his sire Dalghar with his second stakes winner.
Dalghar, also the sire of stakes winner Astara, has two yearlings catalogued in Book One of the NZ Premier Yearling Sale at Karaka his week.Scott Base (Dalghar x Extra Celestial by Danehill Dancer) beat the G1 winner Embellish in the 3YO Classic (RL) to give his co-trainer Johno Benner his second million dollar race win at Ellerslie four years after he won the Karaka Million in 2014 with Vespa.
Vespa, a $34,000 yearling purchase, later added the G1 Diamond Stakes to be New Zealand’s champion 2YO of 2013-14. He is now at stud.Scott Base, only eighth to Embellish in the 2000 Guineas in November, had won his previous start over 1300 metres at Awapuni on January 7.
“He’s a horse we’ve got a lot of time for. We knew he was top drawer and he’s beaten a good field,” Benner said.Scott Base was bred by Neven Botica’s Botsky Pty Ltd and was offered at the 2016 NZB Select Sale at Karaka by Brighthill Farm. Chris Rutten Bloodstock bought him for $70,000.
He has now won three of his 10 for prize money of $NZ581,875.His dam Extra Celestial produced the winner Golden Organic (Dalghar) and is out of Extra Terrestrial (Quest for Fame), dam of the Listed winner Turbo Street (Encosta De Lago) and G3-placed Home On A Wing (Hawk Wing).
The family includes G1 winners Outback Prince and Hotel Grand.High class Mastercraftsman mare Thee Auld Floozie won the G2 Westbury Classic for the second ridden by champion Australian jockey Hugh Bowman.
A G1 winner the 6YO Thee Auld Floozie (Mastercraftsman x Thee Auld Hussie by Spinning World) won the Westbury Classic for the first time in March last season but had not won since.Accomplished sire Swiss Ace sired his ninth stakes winner when the six-year-old gelding Julius won the G3 Concorde Handicap at Ellerslie.
The Jason Bell-trained Julius (Swiss Ace x Oh So Royal by Danzero) has a half-brother by Reliable Man catalogued as Lot 444 in Book I of this week’s New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling sale.The Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott-trained Charles Road secured his stakes win in Saturday’s G3 City Of Auckland Cup at Ellerslie.
Ridden by Jake Bayliss, the 4YO Charles Road (Myboycharlie x Giant Mystique by Giant's Causeway) recorded his first Group win in last year’s G3 Manawatu Classic.