Bella discussions to heat up after Sangster

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Sprinting mare Bella Nipotina (Pride Of Dubai) will contest Australia’s only six furlong Group 1 for fillies and mares – the Robert Sangster Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) – at Morphettville today before her owners meet to decide her future.

But in good news for fans of the five-year-old daughter of Pride Of Dubai (Street Cry), breeder and part-owner Michael Christian has indicated it’s likely Bella Nipotina will race on for another season.

The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Bella Nipotina finally broke through to claim her first elite-level race in Moonee Valley’s Manikato Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) last spring, after seven earlier attempts including three agonising placings.

That triggered plans to race on through the autumn before deciding whether to cash in on her considerable value as a broodmare. That worth has only grown this year with two more Group 1 placings – a first-up third in Flemington’s Lightning Stakes (Gr 1, 1000m) and a second in the William Reid Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) at Moonee Valley, and her superb last–start third in The Quokka (1200m) at Ascot.

Connections had thought that run, which took her prize-money to $3.9 million, could be the last of Bella Nipotina’s preparation, especially considering the mare’s arduous trip to Perth – flying from Sydney after being floated there from Ballarat, before a flight back to Melbourne. Also amid considerations was the fact her strong Lightning Stakes showing had prompted an unscheduled run in Flemington’s Newmarket Handicap (Gr 1, 1200m), in which she ran a disappointing 12th.

But the mare’s recovery from The Quokka has been such that her trainers have pushed on with an assault on the Sangster. In the 41st and possibly finest edition of the weight-for-age event – oddly the country’s only 1200-metre Group 1 for females only – Bella Nipotina held favouritism last night at around $3.80, having drawn ideally in gate five for Ben Melham.

Star mare Passive Aggressive (Fastnet Rock) was second elect at $5. She is seeking a rebound from her 11th in Randwick’s TJ Smith Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) in her first, and probably last, go on a heavy track. Godolphin’s Zapateo (Brazen Beau, $5.50) was next elect, ahead of Chris Waller’s pair September Run (Exceed And Excel, $9.50) and Espiona (Extreme Choice, $12). And a watchful eye was being kept on Bella Nipotina’s stablemate Marabi (I Am Invincible, $11), resuming from an 11-week break following her eighth in the Lightning, her first run in a year owing to a hip injury.

If successful today Bella Nipotina, bred by the Saconi Thoroughbreds team of Michael Christian and his wife Siobhan, at Victoria’s Longwood Thoroughbred Farm, and Michael’s brother Brad, would seemingly have enough in her CV to launch a broodmare career this spring.

But Michael Christian said yesterday while the mare’s eight owners and her trainers would convene to discuss her future after today’s meeting, it was likely she would race on. That would be partly a nod to one positive impact of Australia’s prize-money wars – the incentive to keep star performers on the track for longer – in a modern picture highlighted again by the $400,000 Bella Nipotina earned for third in The Quokka, not far off the Sangster’s total pool of $500,000.

“The plan is that we’ll keep her as a broodmare, and what we decided as an ownership group was to wait till her autumn campaign finished and then make a decision,” Christian told ANZ Bloodstock News.

“A fair bit will depend on how she goes tomorrow, but if she runs well and is as competitive as she has been, I’d say the likelihood is we’d race her for another 12 months.

“That decision hasn’t been made. We’ll likely have a beer and a chat and consult with Ciaron Maher and Dave Eustace and figure it out. But there’s a lot of prize-money to race for these days, and there’s some nice races out there.

“We’ll wait and see what happens tomorrow, and see how she’s tracking at the end of her autumn campaign. If she’s still trying and enjoying racing, we’d give strong consideration to racing on.”

Christian mentioned the slight possibility of Bella Nipotina continuing to Brisbane, with possible top–tier targets such as the Doomben 10,000 (Gr 1, 1200m) or the fillies and the mares’ Tattersall’s Tiara (Gr 1, 1400m). But that would likely only happen if it was decided to send her to the breeding barn this spring, and chase another Group 1 on the way.

Fifth in stablemate Snapdancer’s (Choisir) Sangster last year, Bella Nipotina again showed she was in her prime in The Quokka, finishing just over half a length behind all-the-way winner Overpass (Vancouver) and boom filly Amelia’s Jewel (Siyouni), who were separated by millimetres.

“It was an outstanding run,” Christian said. “The plan was to be just forward of midfield from our good gate, and hopefully have three or four lengths up on Amelia’s Jewel, who we thought had to drop back, then see if she could chase us down.

“Unfortunately, Bella Nipotina dwelt at the start, and we ended up behind Amelia’s Jewel. Ben Melham had to pick his way through the field and then we got clear air late and hit the line strongly. Plus, Overpass controlled the pace up front, which made it harder to come from behind, so that’s more credit to us, and Amelia’s Jewel of course.

“There was some thought as to what the next step would be, and perhaps she’d go to the paddock after such an onerous trip. But she must have an incredible constitution, because the reports from the stable say she’s done extraordinarily well, so there was no reason not to push on and test the Sangster.”

Still, Christian is not underestimating the size of today’s task.

“It’s probably the most competitive Sangster we’ve seen for a while,” he said. “It’s a very strong crop of sprinting mares at the moment, and they’ve all come together in what’s the only fillies and mares’ 1200-metre Group 1 all season, which is pretty extraordinary really.

“There’s some fantastic horses there. Passive Aggressive is outstanding. September Run is always there and thereabouts, and we’ve been neck and neck with her, and with Roch ’N’ Horse. Espiona is a proven Group 1 winner, and I’m intrigued to see how Marabi goes.”

Roch ’N’ Horse (Per Incanto), has slipped to a $26 chance after this year not quite replicating her 2022 dual Group 1-winning form, both up the Flemington straight 1200 metres. Her best of four runs this campaign has been her third – behind Imperatriz (I Am Invincible) and Bella Nipotina – in the William Reid.

Marabi was being aimed at that race, but Maher changed plans after a disappointing final gallop, preserving her instead to chase the Sangster first-up. Before her Lightning flop, she’d won both her previous runs when fresh, whilst winning her first seven starts, with last year’s Oakleigh Plate (Gr 1, 1100m) being the seventh.

Trainer Grahame Begg said Passive Aggressive had recovered well from the TJ Smith failure, her first look at a heavy track other than in two Cranbourne barrier trial wins. The four-year-old, who was unbeaten after four starts last year, showed her class last month in her sixth run with a narrow but gritty win over veteran star sprinter Eduardo (Host) and the outstanding Giga Kick (Scissor Kick) in Randwick’s Challenge Stakes (Gr 2, 1000m), her first clockwise outing.

“I’m very happy with her – she’s in very good shape,” Begg said. “Obviously it’s a very good field, so it won’t be any pushover, and we’d prefer there to be not too much rain after her last run.

“It was a terrible track last start. It deteriorated very badly. I didn’t know if she’d handle a heavy track or not, but you’re not to know it would be as bad as that.”

Morphettville was a Soft 5 yesterday afternoon, with no rain forecast for today.

United Syndications will be chasing their first Group 1 in the Sangster with a filly they bred: I’mlovin’ya (Capitalist), one of two three-year-olds in the race.

The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained runner scored a one-and-three-quarter-length win against the boys at her seventh and latest start in Morphettville’s Redelva Stakes (Listed, 1100m) for three-year-olds, her second win after taking last year’s Talindert Stakes (Listed, 1100m) at Flemington. But despite her weight pull and barrier four today, United’s Peter Creighton remains realistic about the $31 shot’s chances.

“She’s in great order. The two Micks [Price and Kent Jnr] have had a couple of weeks to freshen her up and they’ve done a great job of that. She’s ready to run a great race,” Creighton said.

“If she can get a placing in her first Group 1 it would look very nice on her CV, because she’s a stakes winner at two and three.

“But it will be a very hard race for her. It’s the cream of sprinting mares and she’s really an emerging filly. It’s one of the better editions of the Sangster I’ve seen, but her win in the Redelva was brilliant and she deserves an opportunity.”

Waller was warm on the chances of his pair despite their wide barrier. September Run, last year’s third placegetter, drew the outside gate in 14 for Craig Williams, while Espiona jumps from ten for Michael Dee.

“September Run is no stranger to these types of races and just needs a well-timed run,” Waller said on social media. “She’s going great.

“Espiona has an awkward draw again, but she’s great left-handed, and over 1200 metres she’s probably going to get back anyway. I’d say they’ll both be back in the second half, looking for well-timed runs and we’ll see if they can get home over the top of them.”