Declan Bates continued his strong association with front-running mares, guiding Grinzinger Belle ($4.00F) to a dominant all-the-way victory in the Group 2 Sunline Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
The Danny O’Brien-trained mare bounced back in style following a flat effort in the Mannerism Stakes, relishing the downgrade to a Soft 6 and making full use of her high cruising speed.
After jumping cleanly from barrier 10, Bates allowed her to stride forward and take up the running.
From there, she dictated terms, stacked them up mid-race, and gave a strong kick on the turn to break their hearts in the straight at $4 odds with the top horse racing bookmakers.
Wrote To Arataki () chased gamely into second, while Another Prophet ($6.00) made ground from the rear to grab third. But the result was never in doubt once Grinzinger Belle found her rhythm on the turn.
The four-year-old daughter of Shamexpress had twice placed at The Valley in Group company and clearly thrived back on speed in familiar territory.
“She’s a mare that, when conditions suit, she’s very hard to run down,” said O’Brien.
“John Wheeler, her owner, was instrumental in getting Declan on today and it proved an inspired choice. He gave her a terrific steer.”
The win takes Grinzinger Belle’s record to five wins from 17 starts, including three at Group level.
She’s now earned over $800,000 in prize money and confirmed she’s a serious contender if connections opt to head to the Group 1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on April 13.
Bates, who only picked up the ride after Damian Lane opted for other commitments, was full of praise for the big mare.
“She’s got that high cruising speed and just kept finding,” he said.
“I had a good chat with Damian this morning who gave me a few tips on getting her out of the barriers. Once she was up in stride, she was always going well. She got a bit lonely late, but she was never stopping.”
It was a powerful reminder of Grinzinger Belle’s best form — and a warning to her Queen Of The Turf rivals with have her priced as a $21 shot in the 1600-metre race.
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