Photo: Race Images
Belclare (Per Incanto) will attempt to carve out a piece of New Zealand racing history with an unprecedented third victory in the Gr.1 HKJC World Pool New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) at Ellerslie on Saturday.
The daughter of Per Incanto won the fillies and mares’ feature at Pukekohe in 2023, then defended her crown at Ellerslie last March. She became only the sixth back-to-back winner of the Breeders’ Stakes, joining Tudor Light (1976-77), Orchidra (1978-79), Waikiki (1990-91), Aimee Jay (1998-99) and Saint Cecile (2001-02). Now Belclare has the chance to be the first member of that group to make it a treble.
Belclare raced in Australia in the spring, scoring outstanding victories in the A$2 million Gr.2 The Invitation (1400m) at Randwick on October 26 and the Gr.2 Hot Danish Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on November 9 for expat Kiwi trainer Bjorn Baker. The seven-year-old ventured across the country to contest the Gr.1 Railway Stakes (1600m) in Perth on November 23, but was well below her best and finished at the tail of the field.
Owner-breeder David Woodhouse elected to bring Belclare back home to the Awapuni stable of Lisa Latta, hoping for a repeat of her Ellerslie heroics in last season’s Gr.2 Westbury Classic (1400m) and Breeders’ Stakes.
Belclare went into this year’s Westbury Classic fresh and finished 10th, just over seven lengths behind the winner Konasana. She showed signs of improvement with a last-start fifth behind El Vencedor, Qali Al Farrasha, Orchestral and Konasana in the Gr.1 Otaki-Maori WFA Classic (1600m).
“She’s always seemed to be a mare that’s needed a couple of runs before she’s at her best and in the right frame of mind,” Woodhouse said. “Sam Spratt got off her after that last run and said she expected her to really benefit from that run, although she then decided to hop off her altogether (to ride Provence on Saturday).
“Lisa has been very happy with Belclare leading into this weekend, so we’ll see what happens. What I was hoping when I decided to bring her back home was that she’d really relish racing around Ellerslie again, where she’d won the Westbury and Breeders’ Stakes so well last season.
“I’d love to see her right back at that sort of level again on Saturday. It won’t be easy, but winning the Breeders’ Stakes three years in a row would be a remarkable achievement and something to be very proud of.”
Belclare has made a habit of scoring upset victories on the big stage. She defied $22 odds for her first Breeders’ Stakes win, then landed a $21 boilover in the Westbury. Her win in The Invitation in Sydney came at $26 odds.
Belclare will be ridden by Wiremu Pinn on Saturday and is rated a $16 chance, sharing fourth favouritism with this season’s Gr.1 Thorndon Mile (1600m) winner Provence. Legarto dominates the market at $1.60, with Konasana at $7 and Acquarello the third favourite at $15.
