Electric Belle (NZ) (Power) will be out to get back into winning form on Saturday when she lines up at Sandown.
The Alexander Rae-trained three-year-old caused an upset when she made her previous visit to the track on May 1 two starts ago, incredibly swooping from last to score by a length as a $41 chance.
The New Zealand-bred daughter of Power then wasn’t on her best behaviour at her next start, racing too keenly when eighth behind Standoff in a three-year-old fillies handicap (1400m) at Flemington on May 22.
“Unfortunately, she just jumped well from a good gate (barrier three of 10),” Rae said.
“We thought we’d settle a bit closer, not handy but just more in a midfield spot, but once she broke that well and got fired up, there was nothing we could do about it.
“At least we can tick that off the box from trying to ride her a bit handier. She needs to be snagged right back at the start and ridden like that she seems to relax a lot better and finishes off a lot stronger.”
Rae said educating Electric Belle to settle in her races has been a constant during her eight-start career, which has returned three wins and $109,975 in prizemoney.
“At Cranbourne in her second start, there was no speed and she landed in front. Then her next run at Ballarat she sort of half took off on Michael Rodd and she was at the end of her preparation,” Rae said.
“We came back after that initial campaign and we thought, ‘If we want a racehorse, we’ve got to get her to relax and finish off’.
“We ran her first-up over 1000 metres at Stony Creek, which was always going to be too sharp for her, and then she went on her winning ways once the penny dropped.
“She went back to the jumpouts last Monday just to follow them around and get her back into her routine of jumping and snagging her right back.
“She just followed them around over 800 metres and she was really strong through the line. Hopefully that’s all she needed to have a bit of a refresher on what her role is.”
Rae anticipates campaigning Electric Belle for the remainder of the winter period, with the A$150,000 MSS Security Rivette Series Final (1400m) at Flemington on July 3 a possible target.
“We gave her two weeks off after she won at Hamilton (on March 12) to target these end-of-season three-year-old races, the prizemoney is fantastic and there’s not a lot between the fillies this time of year,” Rae said.
“I’d suggest she’ll race through to the end of the season and then she’s earned herself a good spell.”
