Mi Bella out to continue stable success at Te Aroha

[Wandering Eyes]

Progressive mare Mi Bella will have to overcome an unfavourable barrier draw if she is to repeat the efforts of her stablemate Lovearoadie at Te Aroha on Wednesday.

The pair are prepared by Graham Richardson and Rogan Norvall, with Lovearoadie earning a deserved success in the opener at Pukekohe Park last Saturday. A consistent campaigner throughout her light career, Lovearoadie started a $10 chance in the competitive Rating 65 contest and won with plenty of tenacity, holding out Queen Zou by a half-head.

The Inglewood-Stud bred and co-owned mare holds a nomination for the Stella Artois 1500 Championship Final on Boxing Day at Ellerslie, a race Richardson has on his radar.

“She was gusty, very gutsy. She’s obviously got a fair bit of ability and tries very hard,” he said.

“She is nominated for the Stella Artois Final, so I’ll be sitting down with the owners to talk about that.”

Turning their attention to Wednesday’s Te Aroha meeting, Mi Bella will chase her maiden success in the John Revell Memorial 1150, aiming to better her third-placed effort behind Honey Badger at the course on October 30.

The Per Incanto four-year-old has drawn barrier 12, Richardson’s main query heading into the race where she will continue her association with Warren Kennedy.

“She’s really improved, she’s just got a very bad draw on Wednesday,” he said.

“She will be going around though.”

Britannia Gold holds a similar fate having drawn the identical barrier in the Racing Te Aroha Life Members 1400, which may mean Volunteer is the stable’s sole representative in the three-year-old maiden event.

“I’ve got a question whether to run her (Britannia Gold) this week due to her draw, so I’ve got to see about that,” Richardson said.

“Volunteer has got a good draw and I’m really happy with him.

“He’s a horse on the go-forward and a real improver, just a beautiful animal.”

A colt by Ocean Park, Volunteer (2) ran meritoriously on debut for fifth and has plenty of pedigree on his side, with his dam a half-sister to Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) winner Loire.

Later in the day, Permissive will also aim to break maidens in the Ardex Technology Introducing Epona (1400), after coming very close behind This Time Girl at Ellerslie last month.

“It was a good run at Ellerslie, she just does a lot wrong on race-day,” Richardson said.

“She’s got a good draw (2) so that’s a positive for Wednesday.”

Meanwhile, Richardson and Norvall’s Group One-winning mares Bonny Lass and Snazzytavi will appear at the Taupo trials on Tuesday, and emerging filly Romilly will have her first shot in stakes company in Saturday’s Listed The O’Leary’s Fillies Stakes (1340m) at Wanganui.

Romilly was an eye-catching 3 – ½ length winner at Te Aroha on October 30, a reward for her trainers after allowing plenty of time for the filly to mature.

“When she was immature, she had a few growing problems so I tipped her out for a while and it was the best thing for her,” Richardson said.

“She was very unlucky at Taupo and improved so much when she won at Te Aroha that day.”

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