Final trial for Melody Belle

[Wandering Eyes]

New Zealand’s darling of the turf, Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands), had one final hit-out at Rosehill on Tuesday morning ahead of her trip to Queensland next week.

The 14-time Group One winner was given a quiet trip throughout and finished eighth in her 1030m trial.

Trainer Jamie Richards was happy enough with her efforts but admitted he would have liked to have seen her do more in her final appearance in Sydney.

“I would have liked to have seen her do a little bit more, but when they run 35 off the front off that short course there it does make it difficult for the back markers,” he told RSN927.

“I thought she worked through the line nicely.”

Melody Belle will head north to the Gold Coast next week for a two run Queensland campaign before she is sold at auction.

“She will run in the Hollinsdale (Gr.2, 1800) on the eighth (of May) and the Doomben Cup (Gr.1, 2000m) on the 22^nd,” Richards said.

The six-year-old mare finished sixth in the Gr.1 Tancred Stakes (2400m) at Randwick earlier this month and Richards said he was pleased with her run.

“I thought she was really good in the Tancred,” he said. “She had to go back to last from the outside barrier, came widest of all, really tried hard and finished sixth, beaten not far.

“Her track work at home suggests she is going fairly well. I am happy with her and I genuinely believe she has another good race in her.

“She is going to have a couple of good, strong gallops before she gets on the track and heads up to Brisbane. Hopefully we can see her run well.”

Melody Belle is raced by the Fortuna Melody Belle Syndicate and was purchased out of Haunui Farm’s 2016 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale draft for $57,500 by Te Akau Principal David Ellis.

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