Bella Nipotina Wins G2 Sapphire

Tara Madgwick - Saturday April 9

Coolmore sires dominated the final day of The Championships at Randwick and Pride of Dubai made his presence felt when Bella Nipotina (4m Pride of Dubai x Bella Orfana , by Star Witness) landed the $300,000 Group II ATC Sapphire Stakes (1200m).

Bella Nipotina wins the G2 Sapphire - image Steve Hart

Trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, Bella Nipotina was twice Group I placed last spring and showed her class with a short neck win under James McDonald.
 


Advertisement
"Like everything today it's hard fought. The owners, the jockey, the trainer everyone had to really roar to get her over the line. It's been a great result, she's been a real revelation,” said Ciaron Maher.

"She's Group 1 placed twice so Adelaide Sangster might be an option, Queensland is an option for her. She's got plenty of options. The main thing is she won today and great to get a winner on Championships day."

An $80,000 Inglis Premier purchase for Lindsay Park Racing / Andrew Williams Bloodstock / Mt Hallowell Stud from the Rosemont stud draft, Bella Nipotina was bred by Michael Christian and partners at Longwood Thoroughbred Farm and they retain a share in her ownership.

She has the tidy record of four wins and 13 placings from 27 starts with earnings of $1.6million.

Bella Nipotina is the first foal of Bella Orfana, a placed sibling by Star Witness to Group winners Hallowell Belle and Fuddle Dee Duddle from the family of Group I Caulfield Guineas winner In Top Swing.

covered by Zoustar last spring, Bella Orfana has a yearling colt by Trapeze Artist that was sold by Longwood Thoroughbred Farm for $280,000 at Inglis Easter last week to O’Brien Thoroughbreds..

Bella Nipotina has been a great flagbearer for Coolmore’s Pride of Dubai.


 

Advertisment

Race Result - Tab Sapphire Stakes Gr2 1200m

Randwick Track: Heavy(10) Time: 1:14.55
1
Bella Nipotina
- 4m Pride Of Dubai (AUS) x Bella Orfana (AUS) (Star Witness (AUS))
Tnr: C Maher & D Eustace Rdr: J B Mc Donald 55.5
Pride Of Dubai
2
0.2
Tricky Gal
- 6m Magic Albert (AUS) x Velocity Gal (AUS) (Flying Spur (AUS))
Tnr: Matthew Smith Rdr: Regan Bayliss 54
3
1.0
Belluci Babe
- 5m Per Incanto (USA) x Savamour (NZ) (Savabeel (AUS))
Tnr: Bjorn Baker Rdr: Tim Clark 55
4
1.3
Wandabaa
- 5m Wandjina (AUS) x Mabkhara (AUS) (Anabaa (USA))
Tnr: K A Lees Rdr: D Oliver 55
5
3.0
Majestic Shot
- 4m Shooting To Win (AUS) x Curtsey (AUS) (Viscount (AUS))
Tnr: Grant Allard Rdr: Mitchell Bell 54
6
4.3
Marboosha
- 4m Dream Ahead (USA) x Boomex (AUS) (Exceed And Excel (AUS))
Tnr: P & P Snowden Rdr: Tommy Berry 55
7
4.4
More Secrets
- 4m More Than Ready (USA) x Secret Indulgence (NZ) (Fastnet Rock (AUS))
Tnr: M, W & J Hawkes Rdr: Damien Thornton 54
8
4.9
Ruby Tuesday
- 5m Deep Field (AUS) x Dance To My Tune (CAN) (Stravinsky (USA))
Tnr: G Portelli Rdr: A B Collett 54
9
5.0
Minhaaj
- 4m Exceed And Excel (AUS) x Telaawa (AUS) (Lonhro (AUS))
Tnr: J A O'Shea Rdr: Jamie Kah 55.5
10
5.9
Nicci's Fling
- 4m Nicconi (AUS) x Midnight Fling (AUS) (Danehill (USA))
Tnr: G Portelli Rdr: Ms K O'Hara 54
11
9.6
Pandora Blue
- 4m Hallowed Crown (AUS) x Blue Booty (AUS) (Personal Flag (USA))
Tnr: Ms K Buchanan Rdr: K Mc Evoy 54
12
12.9
Emanate
- 5m Lonhro (AUS) x Guelph (AUS) (Exceed And Excel (AUS))
Tnr: James Cummings Rdr: S Clipperton 55
More Reading...
Zoustar Mare Wins for Te Akau - Half-Brother for K1
Consistent sprinting mare Egyptian Queen was rewarded for a string of solid performances at Te Rapa on Saturday, powering away with the Lodge Real Estate 1200.
Arriving Home Goes Two for Two – Three-Quarter Brother for MM 2025
Talented I Am Invincible filly Arriving Home does her best work on the line and we saw it when she scored on debut at Warwick Farm earlier this month and again when she got there in the last stride to win at Randwick on Saturday.
Four MM Lead Ups for Icarian Dream - what are the stats?
Two-year-old filly Icarian Dream’s win in the B.J. McLachlan Stakes at Eagle Farm on Saturday will see her head into the Magic Millions 2YO Classic having had four starts before year’s end, which might seem a lot in this day and age – but is it? We’ve had a look.
Sad Passing Uncle Mo
A regular shuttler to Coolmore Australia in the first four years of his stud career, leading US sire and brilliant racehorse Uncle Mo was euthanised in Kentucky on Thursday at age 16 on veterinary advice following an injury to his left foreleg.
Hong Kong Summed Up - Dec 22
A double for Brave Smash, including a new winner, also new winners for Hellbent and Kermadec, and three yearling catalogue updates amongst seven Australasian bred winners at Sha Tin on Sunday.
Is He the Next Via Sistina or Buckaroo?
The Fastnet Rock x Galileo cross is a formidable one and has produced this spring’s elite Group I winners Via Sistina (IRE) and Buckaroo (GB) with another lightly raced import bred the same way in Gilded Water (GB) going two for two in Australia with a cavalier win at Randwick on Saturday.
Verdi's Gritty Goldman wins Pakenham Cup
One-time Melbourne Cup favourite Goldman has bounced back to winning form for the first time in more than 18-months when leading throughout to score in the Listed Pakenham Cup (2500m) on Saturday.
Another Stakes Win For This Burly Enigma - Leave The Whip At Home
Enigmatic is a word often bandied about in racing but it certainly sits well upon the ample shoulders of Cannonball, a big odds winner of the Listed Magic Millions Falvelon at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
$250,000 Magic Millions Debut Friday Night – Sale Mail
A field of 10 unraced juveniles will get the chance to go straight into the $3million Magic Millions 2YO Classic with a win in tonight’s $250,000 Magic Millions Debut (1000m), so who are the contenders?
Stakes Racing Catalogue Updates Last Week
A dozen stakes updates in the past week into catalogues for yearlings coming up.