Melody Belle, Kolding to work at Caulfield

Kolding (l) will get his first look at Caulfield ahead of his G1 assignment in the Futurity Stakes.

New Zealand star Melody Belle and Group One-winning Sydneysider Kolding will get a look around Caulfield in separate gallops ahead of their clash in the Futurity Stakes.

The Jamie Richards-trained Melody Belle will chase her 11th Group One win in Saturday’s 1400m weight-for-age feature which will be her first start since running second to Irish visitor Magic Wand in the Group One Mackinnon Stakes at Flemington last November.

A week before the Mackinnon, Melody Belle was a dominant winner of the Empire Rose Stakes at the same track to secure her first Group One success in Australia.

Melody Belle has been in Melbourne for just over a week and the mare will be taken across town from Flemington to Caulfield to gallop on Tuesday morning.

“She’s going to go over to Caulfield tomorrow to have a decent hit-out over there and a bit of a look around the course, which I think is important because Caulfield can be a little bit tricky sometimes,” Richards told NZ Racing Desk.

“She’s been to Flemington before and she seems nice and settled and happy to be back there.”

The Chris Waller-trained four-year-old Kolding, winner of the Group One Epsom Handicap and $7.5 million Golden Eagle last spring, will make his Melbourne debut in Saturday’s Futurity.

Glen Boss has been confirmed to ride after gaining a reduction of a careless riding suspension on appeal.

Melody Belle is shading Caulfield Guineas-winning colt Super Seth and Kolding for early favouritism for the Futurity which has attracted 11 nominations.

Entries have been extended until Tuesday.

Melody Belle was at $2.80 with TAB fixed odds on Monday ahead of Super Seth at $3 and Kolding $3.50.

Other Group One winners nominated are C F Orr Stakes-winning colt Alabama Express, 2017 Futurity winner Black Heart Bart and import Cape Of Good Hope.