Melody Belle wins second consecutive G1
Connections will resist the temptation to try to win New Zealand’s Group One spring weight-for-age triple crown with Melody Belle.
The mare has won the first two legs, the Tarzino Trophy (1400m) and Saturday’s Windsor Park Plate (1600m) but trainer Jamie Richards says she will not step up to 2040m in the Livamol Classic on October 6.
She will instead be saved for the summer.
“I think we will just look after and give her a spell now,” Richards said.
“We’ll get her ready for the Railway Stakes and then the Telegraph at Wellington.”
Richards said the mare’s confidence levels were at an all time high as she remained unbeaten in three starts in this campaign.
“She loves it,” he said. “She’s got that real swagger about her and she prances around like she knows she’s pretty good.”
Melody Belle, a Group One winner of the Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes at two, beat New Zealand Oaks winner Savvy Coup by 1-3/4 lengths under Shafiq Rusof.
Savvy Coup, an unlucky fifth in the Australian Oaks won by Unforgotten, will head to the Livamol Classic.
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