Maven Belle Back with a Bang

Media Release - Sunday January 8

Last season’s Champion two-year-old Maven Belle made a stunning return to the racetrack when cruising to victory in the HR Fisken & Sons 1200 at Pukekohe on Sunday.

The Mark Walker-trained daughter of Burgundy won four of her five starts as a juvenile including the Gr.1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m), the Gr.2 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m), and the Gr.3 Platinum Homes 2YO Classic (1200m).

Maven Belle was back with a bang at Pukekohe on Sunday Photo: Trish Dunell

While a chip in a fetlock ruled Maven Belle out of the spring, she looks set to make up for lost time.

Under a cool Opie Bosson ride, the filly relaxed near the rear of the field early and was asked to quicken shortly after entering the straight, dashing past her rivals to score by more than two lengths from Tarted Up and Master Brutus.

Advertisement

“That was really good. I love the way she relaxed and finished the race off,” Walker said.

“She will improve a bit. She just sweated up a bit in the parade ring and she is all set now for the Almanzor Trophy (Gr.3, 1200m) on Karaka Million night.

“Opie was quite soft on her in the finish and that will tidy her up quite nicely. It is quite exciting.”

Maven Belle holds a nomination for the Gr.1 Levin Classic (1600m) at Trentham on March 18, a race won by multiple Group One winning stablemate Imperatriz last year.

Winning rider Opie Bosson was delighted with the manner in which the homebred filly returned.

“She has come back in fine order. She felt great out there and did it with ease,” Bosson said.

“She has got a really quick turn of foot and I probably got to the front a little bit soon but all credit to her, there is a lot of improvement there too.”

Maven Belle’s only defeat came when a close third in the Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) behind Lickety Split.

Bred by David Ellis, Karyn Fenton-Ellis and Mark and Julia Walker, Maven Belle is a daughter of the late Redoute’s Choice stallion Burgundy who was purchased by Ellis as a yearling for $1.3m out of the New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sales and went on to win seven races, five at stakes level including the Gr.2 Cambridge Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1200m).

David Ellis purchased Maven Belle’s dam Doyenne as a weanling at Westbury Stud’s Unreserved Mixed Bloodstock Sale in 2005 for $4,500, with the Kilimanjaro mare a half-sister to Group One winning sprinter Levante. – NZ Racing Desk

Advertisment
More Reading...
Castelvecchio Out for Remainder of Season
Aeliana’s late charge into second place in the $1.5million Group I MRC Thousand Guineas last Saturday stamped her as the filly to follow out of the race, but it wasn’t quite enough to put her sire Castelvecchio to the top of the second season sires list and he is now out of service at Arrowfield following surgery last week.
Blockbuster Sale as NZB Ready to Run Records Tumble
Expectations were exceeded at Karaka with tremendous results witnessed across two days of selling at NZB’S 2024 Ready to Run Sale, confirming the demand for proven racetrack results and quality New Zealand-prepared horses.
Arkansaw Kid Brother Sells for $520,000
A well-related son of Harry Angel provided a late highlight in the final hour of the 2024 NZB Ready to Run Sale at Karaka on Thursday when he was knocked down to a $520,000 bid from bloodstock agent Morgan Carter.
Maven Belle Leads Te Akau Spring Charge
New Zealand’s leading stable, Te Akau Racing, begun their march towards spring racing with the return of several of their big hitters at the trials on Cambridge’s synthetic surface on Tuesday morning.
City of Troy Crowned 2024 Cartier European Horse of the Year
Outstanding Justify colt City of Troy was crowned Horse of the Year at the 2024 Cartier awards on Wednesday night in London at a star studded ceremony at the Dorchester Hotel.
Ka Ying Rising connection draws Hayes team to Shamexpress at Karaka
With one of the world’s most exciting sprinters flying the flag for David Hayes in Hong Kong, it has been no surprise to see the trainer’s sons zeroing in on progeny of Windsor Park Stud stallion Shamexpress during the Ready to Run Sale at Karaka this week.
One to Watch – Hawkesbury
Castelvecchio has gone from nowhere to somewhere during the course of this spring with three stakes-winners putting his name in lights and he had a promising three year-old colt salute at Hawkesbury on Thursday that has now won two of three starts.
Maven Belle delivers for Te Akau
Te Akau Racing has a proud record of winning the Gr.3 Cambridge Stud Almanzor Trophy (1200m) with a top-class juvenile from the previous season, and Maven Belle survived a scare and continued that tradition at Pukekohe on Saturday.
Million-dollar Hour for Leung at NZB Ready To Run
Hong Kong bloodstock agent Willie Leung had a big hour at Karaka early on Thursday afternoon, spending more than $1 million to secure two well-credentialled colts at the NZB Ready to Run Sale.
Churchill Colt Pulls Off Stunning Pinhooking Result at NZB Ready To Run
Chad Ormsby has enjoyed plenty of racetrack success this year with pinhooks that he has been unable to sell at the Ready to Run Sale, but the multi-talented horseman had a very different outcome with the standout member of his 2024 Riverrock Farm draft at Karaka on Thursday.