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Sportscaster’s win at Kranji on Sunday was welcomed by the Fortuna NZ Racing Stable as its seventh 2019 win in Singapore

It is back at its New Zealand base that the prominent outfit recently picked up a much higher accolade – top mare Melody Belle winning the New Zealand Horse of the Year title.

A good thing, a sure bet, certainty, are some of the things that cannot be guaranteed in horse racing, but rest assured that Melody Belle  (5yo mare by Commands out of Meleka Belle, by Iffraaj) looked the winner a long way from home when it came to New Zealand Horse of the Year honours.

Winning five Group 1s last season – six including the Group 1 Sires' Produce Stakes (1400m) when crowned Champion Two-Year-Old – and now seven with the recent Group 1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) at Hastings, Melody Belle is the current Queen of the Turf in New Zealand.

Purchased by Te Akau principal David Ellis as a yearling for $57,500 at the 2016 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Sale, from the draft of Haunui Farm for breeder Marie Leicester, she has now won 12 of her 22 starts and $1.74 million in prize money for owners in the Fortuna Melody Belle Syndicate (Mgr: John Galvin).

Beautifully managed by Fortuna Syndications owner Galvin, trainer Jamie Richards, and Ellis, the season for Melody Belle stretched from her fresh-up win of the Group 2 Foxbridge Plate (1200m) in August at Te Rapa, to ending her stellar season in March with victory in the Group 1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie.

In between times, she won the Tarzino Trophy and Group 1 Windsor Park Plate (1600m) at Hastings, the Group 1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa, and Group 1 Haunui Farm Classic (1600m) at Otaki.

In addition, Melody Belle was named Champion Sprinter-Miler, in a category that Te Akau was also represented by Te Akau Shark (Rip Van Winkle).

"It's a very proud moment," said Galvin.

"I'm excited, proud, humbled, and this is the sort of thing you dream about to own a horse like this, with all the wonderful success she's had. And she's not done yet, as we saw last week. 

Asked how Melody Belle had come through the recent brilliant victory to defend her Tarzino Trophy title at Hastings, Galvin said: "Beautifully. She had a couple of quiet days in the paddock and now she's back in work.

"Her strapper, Mette (Mosebo), mentioned to me that she's so much stronger this year and right on target to head to Hastings on September 21 (to defend her Windsor Park Plate title)."

Success again for Melody Belle in the Windsor would open the door to completing the Hawkes Bay 'Triple Crown' in the Group 1 Livamol Classic (2040m) on October 5.

"It's never been done and there's been a hell of a lot of good horses that have tried and failed," said Galvin.

"So, for us, our focus is on the Triple Crown and we haven't given any thought to anything beyond that at this stage. If we could win it, it would not only be good for us but great for New Zealand racing.

"She's such a well-loved horse Melody Belle and we'd just love to see her deliver for a big legion of fans."

Recapping the Fortuna success with Te Akau Racing, Galvin said: "Going back to 2003, I got involved with David Ellis, who bought my first horse for me. That was Kapsdan, who was a Group winner, and then I took shares in Darci Brahma, and that's a story in its own.

"Because of thrills I'd had, that motivated me, as a part-owner of Darci Brahma, so in 2007 I started Fortuna and we've had about 170 winners together since then. We've had some really good horses.

"Tell A Tale was a Group 1 winner and we've had other stakes winners, but Melody Belle, of course, is an out and out champion.

"It's important to mention that David and I go back 16 years. We've never missed a beat with our relationship and association.

"There have been some wonderful trainers over the years at Te Akau. Mark Walker, of course, who is now with Te Akau in Singapore, and now Jamie Richards, who is a rising star.

"He and I work very closely together and it's great to be involved. And, it's also important to mention that Melody Belle is not Te Akau's first Horse of the Year in the past 12 months, because they also won the Singapore Horse of the Year with Elite Invincible for the 2018 season."

Galvin's Fortuna Syndications currently manages 15 Horses in New Zealand and eight in Singapore, racing under the Fortuna NZ Stable banner, trained by Walker.