Group 1 New Zealand mare Belclare delivers upset all-the-way win in The Invitation at Randwick

Things didn’t go well for former New Zealand mare Belclare in her first two Australian starts but she got it right when it mattered in the $2m The Invitation at Randwick.

Belclare finally lived up to new trainer Bjorn Baker’s high expectations with the best possible result after his ex-Kiwi produced a stunning boilover at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

Belclare, a $26 outsider, put on a dazzling on speed performance to run away with the Group 2 $2 million The Invitation (1400m).

It was a performance Baker has been expecting in each of her past three starts.

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Belclare had only arrived in Baker’s care at the beginning of this campaign after racing for the bulk of her career racing in New Zealand where she was a two-time Group 1 winner.

The seven-year-old had missed the placings in her first two starts for Baker but the Warwick Farm conditioner was confident Belclare was ready to perform on the big stage.

“Her first two starts I tipped her to the world, so third time lucky and everyone jumped off,” Baker said.

“I’m very lucky to get this mare. She’s a double Group 1 winner in New Zealand.

“Lisa Latta is one of New Zealand’s best trainers so I’ve got a ready-made horse for the owners, Deb and Dave Woodhouse.

“They entrusted me with her. It’s been a bit of a learning curve but we got it right today. And this is the day that we wanted to get it right, so very, very grateful.

Belclare had to work in the early stages to find the front but once she was at the top of the spear, jockey Tyler Schiller did a good job controlling matters.

Belclare scores an all-the-way win in The Invitation. Picture: Jeremy Ng/Getty Images

He kicked two lengths clear early in the straight and was able to maintain a clear margin in the run to the post.

Belclare scored a comfortably length-and-a-quarter length victory over the Grahame Begg-trained Magic Time ($3.10 favourite) while the Michael, John and Wayne Hawkes-trained Makarena ($5.50) was a further half-length away in third.

“She’s awfully tough,” Schiller said.

“Bjorn thought we could lead today and I was happy that when we got there she switched off nicely without the blinkers on.

“She was awfully tough in the straight. I thought I was beaten three times when I saw one come up to me, but she just kept kicking. And Bjorn has done a terrific job to turn her round start to start.

“She’s a lovely mare.”

Belclare is the fourth winner of The Invitation following previous successes of Icebath (2021), Promise Of Success (2022) and Espiona (2023) while Schiller is the first jockey other than Kerrin McEvoy to win the race.

Baker is keeping an open mind about what he will do next with the latest winner.

“We’ll just have a good think about it but she was very good today,” he said.

“She was able to dominate. She’s a very good mare, so that makes it easy.

“When you’ve got good quality bloodstock, she makes me look good. I’m very grateful to get the opportunity.”

Two-time NZ Group 1 winner Belclare leads all the way to give @BBakerRacing and @G1Tyschil victory in The Invitation ✉️ pic.twitter.com/490j1XxmS5

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) October 26, 2024

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Magic Time finished third in last year’s The Invitation after being caught three deep the trip and battling on to just go down.

He was given a perfect ride this time around from the same draw as 12 months ago but couldn’t reel in the winner.

“It was a Great run,” jockey Nash Rawiller said.

“The times they have run home in made it hard to make ground but she found the line really well. She is top class.”

The Chris Waller-trained Zougotcha failed to show her best and faded after a wide run to finish near the back of the field.

Olentia’s jockey Tommy Berry was wary about his mare’s condition and wanted to ‘see how she pulls up’.

“She presented like she was going to win the race but she just didn’t let down the same,” he said.

Originally published as Group 1 New Zealand mare Belclare delivers upset all-the-way win in The Invitation at Randwick