Kiwi super star Melody Belle headlines the nominations for the Group 2 $200,000 Missile Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
Melody Belle, above, is among the nominations for the Missile Stakes at Rosehill. Photo by Steve Hart.
Melody Belle is one of sixteen gallopers entered for the 1200m sprint at Rosehill and the ten times Group 1 winner has rounded off her preparation for her return to the race track with a win in an 850m barrier trial win on the Kensington track at Randwick last Friday.
New Zealand trainer Jamie Richards left Melody Belle in Sydney following her 2020 Autumn Carnival campaign and he is happy with the way his star performer trialed and is keen to see her kick off her Spring Carnival campaign on the weekend.
“She was out there to do a little bit because she is an older mare now and she usually takes a run to come right,” Richards told the NZ Racing Desk.
“There are going to be a lot of nice horses resuming in the Winx Stakes and if we have a run beforehand in the Missile, we might just have that fitness edge a little bit whereas they’re kicking off and getting ready for a bit further ahead.”
“She was outpaced a little bit over the shorter distance but her last couple of hundred was very good.”
“She needs blinkers and she needs better ground.”
The weight for age Group 1 $500,000 Winx Stakes (1400m) at Randwick two weeks after the Missile Stakes and Richards is hoping to have her in peak conditions for that.
“By having her fit and ready to go early and running in the Missile, hopefully she’s really ready to crank up in the Winx Stakes,” Richards said.
Trainer James Cummings has four nominated for the Missile Stakes with Group 1 winner Flit heading the quartet alongside of Cascadian, Home Of The Brave and Savatiano.
Flit was the winner of the Group 1 $1m Schwepes Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield during the 2019 Melbourne Spring Carnival during her three year old year and will be stepping out as a four year old mare for the first time in the Missile Stakes.
Team Snowden have nominated Hightail and Signore Fox for the Missile Stakes and have also entered the pair in the Group 3 $160,000 Aurie’s Star Handicap (1200m) at Flemington on Saturday.
Early betting for the Missile Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au has Melody Belle marked as the $3.70 favourite ahead of Flit at $5 and Savatiano and July Sprint winner Eduardo at $6.
Pre-post betting for the 2020 Missile Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au: $3.70 Melody Belle, $5 Flit, $6 Eduardo, Savatiano, $10 Special Reward, $11 Kolding, Mister Sea Wolf, $17 Cascadian, Hightail, $18 Home Of The Brave, $19 Signore Fox, $26 Imaging, Le Romain, $31 Return With Honour, $41 Glenall, $301 Boom Queen.
Nominations for the 2020 Missile Stakes (1200m)
| # | Last 10 | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Hcp Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 243182×472 | BOOM QUEEN | M | 5 | Tony Ball | 57 |
| 2 | 713x25319x | CASCADIAN (GB) | G | 6 | James Cummings | 107 |
| 3 | 03x37x07x1 | EDUARDO | G | 7 | Joseph Pride | 102 |
| 4 | 2914x1602x | FLIT | M | 4 | James Cummings | 105 |
| 5 | 60123250×3 | GLENALL | G | 7 | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | 100 |
| 6 | 8x213x1108 | HIGHTAIL | G | 4 | Peter & Paul Snowden | 94 |
| 7 | 24720×3734 | HOME OF THE BRAVE (IRE) | G | 9 | James Cummings | 104 |
| 8 | 2x20x8100x | IMAGING (GB) | G | 6 | Chris Waller | 108 |
| 9 | 111x45778x | KOLDING (NZ) | G | 5 | Chris Waller | 110 |
| 10 | 6x30x30x4x | LE ROMAIN | G | 8 | Kris Lees | 111 |
| 11 | 1112x3346x | MELODY BELLE (NZ) | M | 6 | Jamie Richards | 115 |
| 12 | x6101x300x | MISTER SEA WOLF (IRE) | G | 9 | Chris Waller | 110 |
| 13 | 17359x | RETURN WITH HONOUR | C | 3 | Gerald Ryan | 70 |
| 14 | 101x12766x | SAVATIANO | M | 6 | James Cummings | 110 |
| 15 | x1515x0801 | SIGNORE FOX | H | 5 | Peter & Paul Snowden | 98 |
| 16 | 11x56x211x | SPECIAL REWARD | G | 5 | Kris Lees | 105 |
The post Melody Belle headlines strong 2020 Missile Stakes nominations appeared first on HorseRacing.com.au.
