Ben Gleeson was happy to receive a vote of confidence from in-demand jockey Michael Dee ahead of three-year-old-filly Bellatrix Star‘s (Star Witness) Australian debut at Caulfield on Saturday in the Gr.3 Quezette Stakes (1100m).
Dee has ridden the Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson-trained filly in a jumpout and at trackwork at Cranbourne on Tuesday and he has given the stable’s Melbourne-based manager Gleeson a positive assessment.
“He’s been very pleased with her and wants to stick with her, which says a lot,” Gleeson said.
The Te Akau Racing filly had five starts in New Zealand as a two-year-old for two wins, including the Gr.2 Eclipse Stakes over her highly rated stablemate Move To Strike at Pukekohe.
At her most recent start she finished fourth in New Zealand’s biggest two-year-old race, the Karaka Millions, behind Velocious.
“She’s a lovely filly and she brings arguably the top New Zealand two-year-old form being around Velocious and Move To Strike,” he said.
“She ran an unlucky fourth in the Karaka Millions and before that she defeated the winner. She’s got great form and it will be interesting to see how that stacks up here.”
Gleeson said Bellatrix Star had been with him at Cranbourne for close to a month since coming over from New Zealand.
“She’s had plenty of time to settle in and settled in really well. She had one jumpout in New Zealand and then the one jumpout here. The bulk of her work was done with Mark and Sam,” he said.
Gleeson said early in Bellatrix Star’s career she tended to over-race, but she has learnt to settle better.
“She’s settling now. Touch wood she does that on Saturday and if she does, it could open the door for 1400m,” he said.
