3 minute read
Richards siding with daughter of Commands in Bonecrusher clash
Multiple Group 1-winning stablemates Melody Belle (Commands) and Avantage (Fastnet Rock) look set for a mouthwatering clash in Saturday’s Bonecrusher Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m), with trainer Jamie Richards siding with Melody Belle to upstage her equally talented stablemate in the Group 1.
Melody Belle has had the measure of her stablemate in the last two meetings, with the daughter of Commands (Danehill) beating her into second in both the Windsor Park Plate (Gr 1, 1600m) and the Livamol Classic (Gr 1, 2040m) last October and Richards believes Melody Belle has the slight edge over the daughter of Fastnet Rock (Danehill) over the longer distances.
“In my mind, Melody Belle is a little bit better at 2000 metres,” Richards said.
“There wasn’t much between them at Hastings over the mile and then Melody Belle was pretty dominant over 2000 metres in the last leg (Livamol Classic).
“I love both horses and they’ve both done a wonderful job but if I’d have to say which I think is going better over 2000 metres, I’d say Melody Belle.”
Melody Belle has won a 1230 metres trial at Rotorua since her unplaced run in last month’s Herbie Dyke Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) and will be reunited with jockey Troy Harris, who is unbeaten in three starts on the mare.
“Troy is really happy with how she’s moving and how she’s going. She’s tightened up nicely from the trial and she’ll give them a real shake on Saturday. We’re very pleased with her,” Richards said.
“She was disappointing at Te Rapa but through no fault of her own. She was a little bit flat at the 600 metres but from there it was race over because she never really got any room.”
A winner of 18 of her 37 starts, including 13 at Group 1 level, Melody Belle will look to become New Zealand’s leading winner of Group 1 races and move one clear of champion mare Sunline (Desert Sun).
Avantage, a winner of eight Group 1 races herself, including last year’s edition of the Bonecrusher Stakes, and she is shooting for a fifth straight victory at elite level after success in in the Railway Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) at Ellerslie, the Telegraph Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) at Trentham, the BCD Group Sprint (Gr 1, 1400m) at Te Rapa and most recently in the WFA Classic (Gr 1, 1600m) at Otaki.
“She’s in really good form. But there was no Melody Belle in this race when she won last year,” Richards said.
Richards said Melody Belle would be aimed at Queensland campaign in Australia, while Avantage could either stay in New Zealand and head to the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) at Te Aroha or join her stablemate in Australia, with the Coolmore Legacy Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) at Randwick on April 10 the most likely target.
“We’ll just get through Saturday first but we have Australia in the back of our mind for Melody Belle, a farewell tour through Queensland.
“Avantage has had a busy season but we could see her at Te Aroha back to a mile with a month between runs or we could see her in the Coolmore Legacy at Randwick.”
