Photo: bradleyphotos.com.au
In one bold move, Belclare (Per Incanto) more than doubled her career earnings when she took out The Invitation (1400m), one of the races that has been granted Group 2 status by the NSW authorities but is yet to be ratified by the Asian Racing Conference. Nonetheless, the $1 million winner's share bumps Per Incanto (Street Cry) 17 spots up the current Australian sire listings from 28th to 11th.
The mare's bold move was taking over the pace at the 1000-metre mark. In her two Group 1 successes, back-to-back to editions of the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m), she sat second to the top of the straight, led, then burst clear. When she has control she is always hard to beat and at Randwick that pattern was repeated. It's as if she has a second wind, finding more when the challengers emerge.
Unwanted in the betting The Invitation was Belclare's 12th win at start 39 and took her bank account earnings to over $1.9 million. Unwanted in the sales ring, she could have been purchased as recently as May of 2024 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast National Broodmare Salem but failed to reach her reserve of $700,000 when offered as a racing and/or breeding proposition.
Her first 11 wins were from Lisa Latta's Awapuni stable. Not sold, from three starts out Bjorn Baker's Sydney stable the mare had little to prove but as Baker stated: "She makes me look good." Was Baker referring to Belclare or Lisa Latta?
Belclare's granddam is a half-sister to Tulloch Stakes (Gr 2, 2000m) winner Zareyev (Zabeel) and to the dam of VRC Oaks (Gr 1, 2500m) winner Kirramosa (Alamosa). Her great-granddam is New Zealand 1,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Olga's Pal (Straight Strike).
Belclare is one of 31 stakes winners and one of six Group 1 winners by Little Avondale Stud's Per Incanto (Street Cry) and at seven is probably in the twilight of her fine racing career. All that is left now is a Group 1 in Australia. Her best form is in the autumn so there is still an opportunity to do just that.
I've been everywhere, man
A 1960s Australian song by Lucky Starr and popularised in North America by country and western legend Hank Snow, I've Been Everywhere, could also be the theme song for Aljay (Rock 'n' Pop), the well-travelled winner of the Spring Classic (Listed, 2000m) at Riccarton on Saturday.
Well-travelled, yes, but not over-raced, seven-year-old Aljay has faced the starter on 43 occasions and has come up trumps ten times with an additional 15 placings. Since July he has scored four of his ten wins and his list of visited racetracks is impressive. He broke his maiden at Hastings at start three as a three-year-old and has proceeded to score at Awapuni, Riccarton, New Plymouth and Rotorua.
Along the way he has tripped to Trentham and as far away as Greymouth (twice) and only New Zealanders know just how long and arduous that float trip from Picton (after a ferry voyage) to Greymouth really is.
One of Aljay's previous ten visits to Riccarton brought success in the 2022 New Zealand Cup (Gr 3, 3200m) and he has now f irmed to favourite for next month's running.
Track conditions are of no concern as Aljay has won on a Good4 track as well as on a Heavy10 surface, which is what he encountered in Saturday's Spring Stakes. Widest into the straight, Aljay, the clear top-weight, took over inside the 400 metres and the closer he was to the line the better he travelled. Despite giving away 5.5 kilograms to the field he was too big and too strong.
He is one of two stakes winners by Rock 'n' Pop (Fastnet Rock), the other being Avondale Guineas (Gr 2, 2100m) winner Surely Sacred, who also finished third in the Australian Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) before being exported to Hong Kong. A further ten stakes performers are by the stallion whose ratio of winners to starters stands at 62 per cent (94 from 151).
Aljay is another success story from the NZB Ready to Run Sale, purchased by his trainer Kevin Myers for NZ$39,000 at the 2019 sale and returning more than half a million in prize money earnings. His half-brother is the champion jumper Tallyho Twinkletoe (St Reims) and his dam is a sister to Don't Ya Lovett (Lord Ballina), winner of Riccarton's Winter Cup (Gr 3, 1600m) and 14 other races.
Another traveller?
From Book 2 of the 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale, Kevin Myers outlaid NZ$40,000 for He's Lucid, a colt by Mapperley Stud's Contributer (High Chaparral), who was tragically lost to the stud recently.
Myers waited until June this year before saddling up He's Lucid for his sole race at two in the Castletown Stakes (Listed, 1200m) at Wanganui, where he finished third. Two starts later he was back at Wanganui to run third in the Wanganui Guineas (Listed, 1200m). He tuned up for Saturday's War Decree Stakes (Gr 3, 1600m) with a trial win followed by a solid fourth at Hawera where he raced three wide without cover the entire journey.
Cruising before they straightened for the run home, He's Lucid lengthened stride when asked at the 300 metres and was simply too strong to the line to record his maiden victory. T he one question is whether he will appreciate any firming of the track for the upcoming New Zealand 2,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m). Despite racing wide in a fair fourth on a Good4 at Hawera over 1200 metres, he did not stretch out until late. Perhaps the extra distance is another reason for his improved performance. We'll f ind out in less than two weeks.
He is the first winner for his dam, Big Dreamer (No Excuse Needed) who won five races and twice achieved black-type including third in Trentham's Thompson Handicap (Gr 3, 1600m).
