Te Akau Racing smart sprinter Bellatrix Star earns shot at the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes after hat-trick of wins
Smart filly Bellatrix Star has a date against the colts in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes after her emphatic Group 2 success at Caulfield on Saturday.
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Sharp filly Bellatrix Star has a date against the colts in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes.
The Te Akau rising star sprinter completed a hat-trick of wins last Saturday with victory in the Group 2 Schillaci Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield.
Bellatrix Star, a Group 2 winner in New Zealand last season, has continued to improve with each start in Melbourne.
The three-year-old Star Witness filly, already a winner down the straight at Flemington, will be aimed at the Coolmore on November 2.
READ: Purton-Moreira rivalry to reignite in Caulfield Cup classic
“The way she come away from them, it certainly gives us every chance to go to the Coolmore now,” stable representative Ben Gleeson said.
“Dare to dream, dare to dream. She deserves a crack at it now … hopefully all the good colts and sprinters will go and bash each other up in The Everest and we get every chance at it.
“But we’d love some rain as well, I guess it’s not a worry now. She deserves it.”
Champion jockey Craig Williams endorsed Bellatrix Star’s Coolmore credentials.
“You sit on top of her and there’s a lot to like about her,” Williams said.
“She’s very effective late, solid and for future, she’s even really effective down the straight.
“I think there’s a nice race in store in a couple of weeks at Flemington for her.”
Bellatrix Star is $15 with Ladbrokes in a Coolmore market dominated by Everest-bound colts Growing Empire ($3), Traffic Warden ($3), Storm Boy ($5) and potentially Switzerland ($7).
Talk emerged over the weekend The Everest slot-holder Coolmore could replace Storm Boy with Switzerland if the colt, which duly saluted, won the Group 2 Roman Consul last Saturday.
Coolmore is yet to formally declare their runner in The Everest.
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Midnight Blue caused a boil over in the Listed Seymour Cup (1600m) to earn a shot at the $500,000 Melbourne Cup Carnival Country Final on Oaks Day at Flemington next month.
The Mark Walker-trained stayer travelled sweetly for jockey Daniel Stackhouse behind the speed and was strongest late to hold out the plucky Earl Of Tyrone, an imported stayer first-up for Ciaron Maher after 18 months off the scene.
Maktoob finished third from favourite Second To Nun, who endured a wretched run in transit after being slow into stride and stranded behind a wall of horses.
Midnight Blue returned $21 with Ladbrokes while the long-priced trifecta paid $26,917.80.
Assistant trainer Ben Gleeson expected a big performance from Midnight Blue.
“We genuinely thought he was a winning chance … his last jumpout was super, just in the last week his coat is glowing, he’s got dapples like apples,” Gleeson said.
Midnight Blue capped a successful Sunday in tangerine – and weekend overall for Te Akau after Bellatrix Star won at Caulfield – with Stage ‘N’ Screen a debut winner at Seymour.
Stage ‘N’ Screen firmed $101 into $26 with Ladbrokes for the Group 1 Thousand Guineas.
- Gilbert Gardiner
Originally published as Te Akau Racing smart sprinter Bellatrix Star earns shot at the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes after hat-trick of wins
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