Tattersall’s Tiara (Group 1)

BRIDESMAID at her two previous outings, Bella Nipotina made it an exceptional six weeks in Queensland, bookending her four Group 1 starts with two major wins.

Despite being handed barrier 15, Bella Nipotina started an even-money favourite in Saturday’s A$700,000 Tatts Tiara over Eagle Farm’s 1,400 metres.

Ryan Maloney took the reins with regular rider Craig Williams on a humanitarian mission to Ukraine with his wife Larysa who is from Ukraine.

Plotting a wide course, it was just a case of when the pair took control of the race as the Pride Of Dubai mare glided into the race at the top of the straight. Hitting the lead with 150 metres remaining, Bella Nipotina gave her foes little hope as she comfortably held her length advantage.

“In the end it really didn’t matter, she just toyed with them,” said Maloney. “She got into a nice enough rhythm and good horses do what they do, they just know how to win. It certainly makes your job a lot easier and a lot more enjoyable.”

Second was her stablemate, the Winning Rupert filly Semana as the locally-trained More Than Ready mare Bubble Rock took third.

“To do what she has done, I thought we’d come up here for one run and maybe have a crack at 14 (1,400 metres) in the Tiara,” said trainer Ciaron Maher.

“To run in all four and be as good in the last as she was in the first, phenomenal. And on the back of going to Perth, and running in the autumn in Sydney.”

The win was Bella Nipotina’s third Group 1, lifting her record to nine wins and 23 placings from 52 starts that have generated just shy of $11 million in earnings. She was sold at the Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling sale for $80,000.

Asked about the $20 million Everest, Maher said it was now a clear target for Bella Nipotina. “She was an emergency last year, she is probably going better this year,” said Maher. “We will work back from The Everest (October 19th), she probably has a run beforehand, and she will go back out now and freshen up.”

Vow And Declare clocks track record

VOW And Declare, the 2019 Melbourne Cup winner, wound back the clock to win his second Group 3 Tattersalls Cup at Eagle Farm, taking 1.78 seconds of the previous 2,400 metre course record in the process.

Trained by Danny O’Brien, the rising nine-year-old Declaration Of War gelding defeated his stablemate the Tavistock gelding Young Werther with Knight’s Choice, an Extreme Choice gelding in third.

“You would be hard pressed to find a horse that has contested the same group race five years apart, let alone winning them both,” said the stable’s racing manager Matt Harrington.

“So proud of the horse. He just keeps turning up and producing his best, which was a track record performance on Saturday.

Worked tirelessly

“It’s a testament to our staff who have worked tirelessly and have enabled Vow to still be producing his best year after year. He still has a lot of fuel in the tank.”

Despite the synchronicity of Vow And Declare winning his first Tattersalls Cup just five months before his 2019 Melbourne Cup win, the romance of the Cup has been ruled out. “Danny and the owners will sit down in a few weeks’ time and work out what the plan is, but what has been discussed already is the Melbourne Cup is off the agenda,” added Harrington.

The win was a big thrill for 34-year-old jockey Billy Egan. “He’s a champion. I’ve ridden him his last eight starts, second in Group 1s, but this is actually my first victory aboard him,” said Egan.

“I’m absolutely rapt to win on a Melbourne Cup winner. He’s an out-and-out stayer. Since he got up here (Queensland), each run I see him in the mounting yard, his coat has improved, and he was screaming out for the 2,400 metres this preparation.”

McCarthy spends night in hospital

WILLIE McCarthy spent Sunday night in hospital having taken a fall in the second at Casterton on Sunday in a heat of the Adam Lindsay Gordon Hurdle series.

Riding the Paul Preusker-trained Killourney, McCarthy was tipped off with a lap to go, and consequently suffered a dislocated shoulder.

With feature jumps racing at Warrnambool on Sunday, McCarthy will likely miss chances on a number of his better rides in the coming weeks.