| R8 ELLERSLIE | 09 March 2019 |
| Bonecrusher New Zealand Stks G1 OPEN ($192,000), 2000m 2:06.56 | |
| Race Synopsis: This G1 over 2000m at WFA saw the field cut by two late scratchings due to the Heavy10 track presented and some pace came out of the race as a result but the two favourites still drew clear and slugged it out to the line.
The track at Ellerslie was dreadful and a sodden Heavy10 plus the draining never really worked as it got worse and worse throughout the day and some of the beaten margins in G1 races were absolutely astounding.
The race winners and where they turned for home in race order were third (four-off and a length and a half from the leader), sixth (four-off and two and a half lengths from the leader), ninth (twelve-wide and five lengths from the leader), third (ten-wide and a length from the leader), seventh (seven-off and three lengths from the leader), fifth (twelve-off and a length and a half from the leader), led (ten-wide and a head in front), led (fifteen-wide and a neck in front), second (twenty-wide and a neck from the leader) and fourth (sixteen-wide and a length from then leader).
Melody Belle and Danzadanzdance were separated by a neck at the line and were almost four lengths clear of the rest that came in at intervals thereafter.
The trifecta across the line was in fact all 4yo mares and they were the only three in the field of that age and sex notably.
Melody Belle raced seventh then sixth before improving wider like everything else across the top and she swept up relishing the footing to lead narrowly turning for home out very deep in the better lanes.
She had won four G1 races this season prior to today so knows what the winning post is for and all have come at WFA, as this is the sweet spot age and sex under this scale.
Melody Belle repelled her only threat after being a neck in front turning in then grabbing a length lead at the 300m only for Danzdanzdance to dig deep and make it a real mudrace.
It was the eleventh win from twenty starts for Melody Belle and her first at 2000m (she clocked a mediocre 2:06.56 today) plus she has scored on all types of footing and from 900m up until the trip today.
She gets a big V for versatility and bar a freakish performance at the Sydney Autumn Carnival then NZ Horse Of The Year is hers for sure with the WFA crown a lock already.
Danzdanzdance loved the wet ground today and showed her last start ordinary fifth when odds on at Te Rapa was more a combination of that manmade biased track and how she was ridden.
She raced in the rear duo relaxed then improved the widest runner across the top and swept up quickly to be second and the deepest runner turning for home ready for a set too with Melody Belle.
After getting to within a neck she was length behind at the 300m then got her game-face on and was in for the fight at the 200m and 100m but could not quite get her nose ahead.
Rondinella ran a game third in what was her first G1 race ever and her effort probably has retired some of the older males behind her as she was having her eleventh start today and is just a four-race winner.
She raced sixth or seventh and was deep across the top before getting onto heels ahead and losing ground but refused to use that as an excuse and reached fourth at the 200m before a distant third at the 50m.
Authentic Paddy trailed the leader on the inner and came through closest in to challenge at the 600m and turned for home third in the lower lanes.
The fact this 9yo stayed closer in and finished fourth albeit beaten over six lengths tells you the depth of the line up is suspect as he has not won a race since December 2017.
Also he has had twelve starts this season and placed just twice with tellingly a G2 third behind Melody Belle and a G1 second behind Danzdanzdance, so this form is much the same muchness.
It has no real depth whatsoever and is like beating like.
Vin De Dance was an ordinary fifth beaten over ten lengths and Saint Emilion the leader stopped again to finish sixth beaten almost twelve and a half lengths.
On The Rocks after winning a G1 at WFA over 2000m at Te Rapa comes out here and runs seventh beaten almost fourteen lengths, so even if he did not cop the footing entirely he lost to Danzedanzdance today in two weeks a staggering almost seventeen lengths.
The rest were outclassed or outstayed or are not WFA gallopers.
Elusive Treasure ran a G1 third at 2000m under WFA at Te Rapa a month ago behind the winner On The Rocks but that looks an outlier race as Danzadanzdance ran fifth in it at odds on.
She ran a close second today and On The Rocks ran a very distant seventh and Elusive Treasure ran ninth beaten almost eighteen lengths.
Melody Belle and Danzdanzdance were dominant over the rest today but have been racing and beating the same old same old all season.
To put some perspective into this result the Hastings Spring Triple Crown at WFA saw the first two legs won by Melody Belle and the last leg won by Savvy Coup (she got totally outclassed twice in Melbourne after that).
Third in that last leg over 2040m was Danzadanzdance and she has won twice at G1 WFA races in New Zealand since plus Melody Belle has won three more now at this level and type, so add in the 4yo mare Savvy Coup's win and that is eight G1 wins at WFA races this season all to the same age and sex.
Now that is a filly and mare dominated racing jurisdiction, which New Zealand very much is so.
The third finisher today Rondinella is a 4yo mare too and has upside but it was her first ever G1 outing today and she ran third.
The 9yo Authentic Paddy finishing fourth stamps the races actual depth as he has placed behind the top two mares this season and done nothing else.
Wet track form is meaningless big picture and only relevant under similar conditions or it seems at WFA, as Melody Belle has not been able to win at handicap level this season (not even under set weights and penalties) and Danzdanzdance on good footing could only finish fifth when odds on.
Danzadanzdance will meet Winx at least once this Autumn and will be praying for rain-affected footing as she cannot sprint as quickly as many expected rivals in the race let alone the great mare herself.
| |
| FP | Horse Age & Sex | Trainer Jockey | WT SP | |||||||
1st | 9. MELODY BELLE (NZ) 4yo Mare | JAMIE RICHARDS OPIE BOSSON | 57.0 $2.60 | |||||||
| COMMANDS (AUS) - MELEKA BELLE (NZ) | ||||||||||
| Fortuna Melody Belle Syndicate (Mgr: J Galvin) | 2nd | 10. DANZDANZDANCE (AUS) 4yo Mare | CHRISTOPHER GIBBS & MICHELLE BRADLEY CRAIG GRYLLS | 57.0 $3.20 | ||||||
| MASTERCRAFTSMAN (IRE) - NIGHT DANZA (AUS) | ||||||||||
| Miss K B Bax, J T Loose, L Wotton, M Hawes, R J Stern, R Tierney & S Barnao | 3rd | 12. RONDINELLA (NZ) 4yo Mare | ROGER JAMES & ROBERT WELLWOOD VIN COLGAN | 57.0 $9.80 | ||||||
| OCEAN PARK (NZ) - VALPOLICELLA (NZ) | ||||||||||
| M G Chitty, Mrs S A Chitty, R J Chitty, Mrs C J Chitty, Ms C W Franich & Miss K Franich | ||||||||||
| 4th | 5. AUTHENTIC PADDY (NZ) 9yo Gelding | LISA LATTA ROBERT HANNAM | 59.0 $25.90 | |||||||
| 5th | 6. VIN DE DANCE (NZ) 4yo Gelding | MURRAY BAKER & ANDREW FORSMAN MATTHEW CAMERON | 59.0 $9.30 | |||||||
| 6th | 3. SAINT EMILION (NZ) 7yo Gelding | MURRAY BAKER & ANDREW FORSMAN JONATHAN RIDDELL | 59.0 $30.60 | |||||||
| 7th | 1. ON THE ROCKS (NZ) 4yo Gelding | MICHAEL MORONEY & PAM GERARD JAKE BAYLISS | 59.0 $6.40 | |||||||
| 8th | 2. SHADOWS CAST (NZ) 6yo Gelding | M OULAGHAN JOHNATHON PARKES | 59.0 $28.90 | |||||||
| 9th | 7. ELUSIVE TREASURE (AUS) 6yo Gelding | MARTIN DA CRUZ DARREN DANIS | 59.0 $53.40 | |||||||
| 10th | 8. FARM BOY (NZ) 8yo Gelding | TIM & MARGARET CARTER M MCNAB | 59.0 $48.00 | |||||||
Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes
1st: Melody Belle (Opie Bosson)
2nd: DanzDanzDance (Craig Grylls)
3rd: Rondinella (Vinnie Colgan)
Tags: bonecrusher new stakes zealand
