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Mare provides Commands with his 13th winner.
The Will Clarken-trained Bella Vella (5 m ex Forget The Weather by Stormy Atlantic) proved too hard to catch in the Robert Sangster Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) at Morphettville on Saturday and in so doing she provided late Darley stallion Commands (Danehill) with his 13th elite level winner.
The progressive mare came into the race off the back of a pair of victories, with her most recent coming in the Hills Railway Stakes (Listed, 1000m) and on Saturday she managed had to repel the late surge from 2019 Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Lyre (Lonhro), eventually beating her by a neck.
Bella Vella was purchased by Paul Moroney Bloodstock for $100,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and after failing to get in foal to Criterion (Sebring) she was subsequently offered on the Inglis Digital Monthly Sale and bought by John Kelton for $22,500 in April last year.
Clarken described his first Group 1 win as "very, very special" especially with some friends and long-time supporters in the ownership and with Todd Pannell aboard - who was celebrating his second elite level winner.
"I've had lots of runners in Group 1s and I suppose you've just got to keep rolling the marble," he said.
"Today she got left alone in front.
"She's been in super form and things went our way."
The five-year-old mare is out of dual winning mare Forget The Weather (Stormy Atlantic) - who realised US$50,000 when purchased by Cherry Lodge Farm at the Keeneland Breeding Stock Sale in 2017. She was then subsequently offered at the Magic Millions National Broodmare and Weanling Sale and was snapped up for Oaklands Stud for $40,000. She was then reoffered at the 2019 edition of the same sale - selling to Fionnuala Timoney for $20,000.
The mare has produced three winners and is herself a half-sister to Listed winning trio Wedlock (Maria's Mon), Ever After (Kris S) and Extrovert (Wild Again).
Meanwhile, the Bella Vella's third dam is Listed winner Wedding Picture (Blushing Groom), who in turn produced Grade 3 winner Winged Victory (Nijinksy) and Listed-winning pair Service Stripe (Deputy Minister) and Puzzled Look (Gulch). Wedding Picture is also the grandam of multiple Grade 1 winner Forever Together (Belong To Me) and Grade 2 winner Broken Vow (Unbridled) and Listed scorer Threshold (Homebuilder).
Bella Vella's colt yearling Darley's by Shooting To Win (Northern Meteor) was purchased for $25,000 on last month's Inglis Digital Sale and the mare has most recently been covered by Coolmore Stud shuttler Churchill (Galileo).
In winning the Group 1, the mare joins the likes of Melody Belle, Holler, Epaulette and Skilled as Commands' other Group 1 winners. The stallion - who is represented by 81 stakes winners in total - died in 2014.
