Last start Moonee Valley winner Jessy Belle will be set for some tougher Spring Carnival assignments following her all the way win in the $80,000 Sportingbet Handicap over 1600m on Saturday.
Jessy Belle to step up to tougher company after all the way win at Moonee Valley. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
The Luke Oliver trained mare made it two wins from two starts over the Moonee Valley 1600m course and also has a win over 1500m and he is considering stepping her up to Group company in the coming weeks after her gutsy performance.
“She’s not the sort of horse to run away from a field like that, but she was too strong,” Oliver told TVN.
“Every time we’ve raised the bar she has stepped up and I’ve had less talented horses than her be very competitive in stakes races before.
“She’s won three races at Moonee Valley now, but in saying that she’s pretty versatile and there’s a few mares mile races over the spring which we can look at now.”
The Group 3 $150,000 Eliza Park International Stakes (1600m) for the mares at Moonee Valley on Cox Plate Day looks an ideal race for Jessy Belle to tackle and another strong showing will tempt Oliver to take another step up the ladder.
Other feature mares races over the Spring Carnival are the Group 2 $200,000 Let’s Elope Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on September 13, the Group 2 $200,000 Blazer Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on October 4 and the Group 2 $220,000 Schweppes Tristarc Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on October 18.
While on the first day of the Melbourne Cup carnival at Flemington the highlight for the mares in the Group 1 $500,000 Myer Classic (1600m).
After being one of the best to begin, Chris Symons had no option but to let Jessy Belle set the tempo and when the pressure came at the 600m, the Rock Of Gibraltar mare responded and was able to hold off all the challenges to run out a comfortable winner over Atlantis Dream and Acapela.
“She naturally begins so well but it was the worst case scenario to lead,” Symons said.
“But I wasn’t going to pull her molars out trying to pull her back.
“Luke knew she was the best horse in the race, I knew she was the best horse in the race and I had no real instructions other than to just to let her find her rhythm.”
Last Saturday’s win was Jessy Belle’s fifth from twelve starts and took her prizemoney earning to over $288,000.
