Everest history awaits ‘modern day freak’ six-year-old mare Bella Nipotina

Bella Nipotina’s win in the Tatt’s Tiara capped one of the best autumn/winter preparations you’ll see — but an even bigger prize awaits in October.

Bella Nipotina wins the Tattersall's Tiara. Picture: Grant Peters

Bella Nipotina is a modern day freak.

Her win in the Tatt’s Tiara capped one of the most remarkable autumn/winter preparations you’ll see.

Nine runs — eight at Group 1 level (the other in The Quokka) — for two Group 1 wins, and three Group 1 seconds.

Her prizemoney for the preparation, where she raced in four states in four months travelling about 8000km by road and air, was $2,977,500.

No matter how you boil down those numbers, Bella Nipotina is clearly one of the toughest and most consistent horses to have graced the turf in recent years.

She doesn’t get the widespread accolades she deserves, but after her amazing preparation more people are acknowledging how good she is.

To prove how underrated she’s been, in those nine runs she started favourite only once — and that was in the Tatt’s Tiara on Saturday.

* What the jockeys said: 2024 Tattersall’s Tiara

BELLA NIPOTINA! FANTASTIC!

The mare by @CoolmoreAus's Pride Of Dubai easily won the $700,000 Tiara (G1) at Eagle Farm (@BrisRacingClub) | @SkyRacingWorld. @cmaherracing trained and Ryan Maloney was in the irons of the 6-year-old. Congrats to the connections! pic.twitter.com/Xu5AG39b4O

— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) June 29, 2024

Four times she started at double-figure odds.

Her total prizemoney across her 52-start career now stands at $10.98 million, putting her in an elite bracket of Australian racehorses to have topped $10m prizemoney.

Surely, it’s now only a matter of time before Bella is snapped up for the $20 million The Everest in October?

To the slotholders sitting on their hands waiting — just get the deal done with Michael Christian and Ciaron Maher.

Her record speaks for itself, and her past four Brisbane runs proves she’s even better racing in the clockwise direction.

Bella Nipotina’s past 10 clockwise runs make for compelling reading — 1st Sapphire Stakes, 3rd Concorde Stakes, 3rd Premiere Stakes, 3rd Sydney Stakes, 1st Giga Kick Stakes, 2nd TJ Smith Stakes, 1st Doomben 10,000, 2nd Kingsford Smith Cup, 2nd Stradbroke Handicap, 1st Tatt’s Tiara.

She’s an absolute jet racing clockwise, and in the process has beaten home the first four horses home in last year’s The Everest — Think About It, I Wish I Win, Private Eye, and In Secret.

The Giga Kick Stakes goes to Bella Nipotina in a thrilling finish!

The master @CWilliamsJockey delivers a peach for @cmaherracing. pic.twitter.com/IBaLFm17wm

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) November 4, 2023

So far, only three horses are confirmed for The Everest — I Wish I Win, In Secret and Bustling.

If Bella Nipotina can’t make the cut for the next nine slots, we all may as well give up the game.

The way she’s racing, you’d be a brave person to say Bella can’t become the first filly or mare to win The Everest.

And, if it happens to be wet on the day, she’s an even better chance to make history.

You know it makes sense!

■ Matt Williams is News Corp Australia’s national racing editor.

Originally published as Everest history awaits ‘modern day freak’ six-year-old mare Bella Nipotina