Kiwi super star Melody Belle headlines the nominations for the Group 2 $200,000 Missile Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on Saturday.

Melody Belle, above, is among the nominations for the Missile Stakes at Rosehill. Photo by Steve Hart.

Melody Belle, above, is among the nominations for the Missile Stakes at Rosehill. Photo by Steve Hart.

Melody Belle is one of sixteen gallopers entered for the 1200m sprint at Rosehill and the ten times Group 1 winner has rounded off her preparation for her return to the race track with a win in an 850m barrier trial win on the Kensington track at Randwick last Friday.

New Zealand trainer Jamie Richards left Melody Belle in Sydney following her 2020 Autumn Carnival campaign and he is happy with the way his star performer trialed and is keen to see her kick off her Spring Carnival campaign on the weekend.

“She was out there to do a little bit because she is an older mare now and she usually takes a run to come right,” Richards told the NZ Racing Desk.

“There are going to be a lot of nice horses resuming in the Winx Stakes and if we have a run beforehand in the Missile, we might just have that fitness edge a little bit whereas they’re kicking off and getting ready for a bit further ahead.”

“She was outpaced a little bit over the shorter distance but her last couple of hundred was very good.”

“She needs blinkers and she needs better ground.”

The weight for age Group 1 $500,000 Winx Stakes (1400m) at Randwick two weeks after the Missile Stakes and Richards is hoping to have her in peak conditions for that.

“By having her fit and ready to go early and running in the Missile, hopefully she’s really ready to crank up in the Winx Stakes,” Richards said.

Trainer James Cummings has four nominated for the Missile Stakes with Group 1 winner Flit heading the quartet alongside of Cascadian, Home Of The Brave and Savatiano.

Flit was the winner of the Group 1 $1m Schwepes Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield during the 2019 Melbourne Spring Carnival during her three year old year and will be stepping out as a four year old mare for the first time in the Missile Stakes.

Team Snowden have nominated Hightail and Signore Fox for the Missile Stakes and have also entered the pair in the Group 3 $160,000 Aurie’s Star Handicap (1200m) at Flemington on Saturday.

Early betting for the Missile Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au has Melody Belle marked as the $3.70 favourite ahead of Flit at $5 and Savatiano and July Sprint winner Eduardo at $6.

Pre-post betting for the 2020 Missile Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au: $3.70 Melody Belle, $5 Flit, $6 Eduardo, Savatiano, $10 Special Reward, $11 Kolding, Mister Sea Wolf, $17 Cascadian, Hightail, $18 Home Of The Brave, $19 Signore Fox, $26 Imaging, Le Romain, $31 Return With Honour, $41 Glenall, $301 Boom Queen.

Nominations for the 2020 Missile Stakes (1200m)

# Last 10 Horse Sex Age Trainer Hcp Rating
1 243182×472 BOOM QUEEN M 5 Tony Ball 57
2 713x25319x CASCADIAN (GB) G 6 James Cummings 107
3 03x37x07x1 EDUARDO G 7 Joseph Pride 102
4 2914x1602x FLIT M 4 James Cummings 105
5 60123250×3 GLENALL G 7 Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes 100
6 8x213x1108 HIGHTAIL G 4 Peter & Paul Snowden 94
7 24720×3734 HOME OF THE BRAVE (IRE) G 9 James Cummings 104
8 2x20x8100x IMAGING (GB) G 6 Chris Waller 108
9 111x45778x KOLDING (NZ) G 5 Chris Waller 110
10 6x30x30x4x LE ROMAIN G 8 Kris Lees 111
11 1112x3346x MELODY BELLE (NZ) M 6 Jamie Richards 115
12 x6101x300x MISTER SEA WOLF (IRE) G 9 Chris Waller 110
13 17359x RETURN WITH HONOUR C 3 Gerald Ryan 70
14 101x12766x SAVATIANO M 6 James Cummings 110
15 x1515x0801 SIGNORE FOX H 5 Peter & Paul Snowden 98
16 11x56x211x SPECIAL REWARD G 5 Kris Lees 105

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.