Dual Group 1-winning mare Belclare made her first public appearance back on home soil at the Foxton trials on Tuesday, as she readies for a title defence in the Group 2 Westbury Classic (1400m) on Karaka Millions Night next week.
After failing to meet her $700,000 reserve at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale last May, Belclare spent the spring campaigning in Australia in the care of Bjorn Baker, where she repaid the faith of her owner David Woodhouse with a pair of Group 2 victories at Randwick and Rosehill.
The daughter of Per Incanto has won the last two editions of the Group 1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m), and with her sights set on a three-peat, she returned to her original trainer, Awapuni horsewoman Lisa Latta.
“It’s fantastic, I’m really appreciative of David and Deb to give me the opportunity to have her back,” she said.
Belclare took her place in a 1000m heat on Tuesday where she and Group One performer Blissful Belle drew away from their rivals to go to the line in unison, the latter taking the trial by a nose in a sharp 1.00.29.
The mare dominated her rivals in the Westbury Classic 12 months ago, and Latta confirmed she will be at Ellerslie on January 25 to tackle the $500,000 fillies and mares feature.
“She just had a nice hit-out, they ran the fastest time of the day and she was second beaten a lip, so there was nothing in it,” Latta said. “It was exactly what we wanted to see.
“She’ll have a pretty quiet rest of the week, she’s a very easy horse to train.”
Belclare has made the Woodhouse’s black and white silks well-known to the racing fraternity, but not far behind her is younger stablemate Connello, who will carry them in Saturday’s Group 3 New Zealand Bloodstock Desert Gold Stakes (1600m).
The Time Test filly ran a meritorious fifth in the Group 1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m), and since then has finished second to race-rival Leica Lucy in the Group 3 Eulogy Stakes (1600m).
“She’s just a really professional filly, she’s not very big but she puts in her best every time,” Latta said.
“She’s trained on well, she had a little freshen-up afterwards and she goes well like that.
“I’m just hoping for a nice draw.”
Connello holds an early nomination for the $1 million Group 1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m), a distance Latta feels is well within her capabilities.
“We’ll know much more when we step her over 2000, but she gets her head down nice and low when she gallops and relaxes, so I get the feeling she will get over ground,” she said.
Latta will have a number of other runners in the Trentham undercard, including Belle’s Echo, who made a searing return in her new campaign at the course in mid-December winning over 1200m.
Coming from the back last Saturday over 1100m, she powered through the line to finish third to The Stoney One and Fancy Like Lass, a run that gave Latta confidence as she steps up in distance in the Taggs Accounting (1400m).
“I was really happy with her, she was doing her best work late on the line and through the line,” she said.
“That was suggest stepping up to the 1400 would be right up her alley now.”
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