Melody Belle (foaled 26 September 2014) is a champion

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...

racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its bas ...

who is the only horse to win the New Zealand Triple Crown. She is also a two-time

New Zealand Horse of the Year There is a New Zealand horse of the year in each of the racing codes: - Standardbred or harness racing, either pacers or trotters, and - Thoroughbred racing or gallopers. Harness Horse of the Year The New Zealand Harness Horse of the Year award ...

and holds the New Zealand record for the most

Group 1 Group 1 may refer to: * Alkali metal, a chemical element classification for Alkali metal * Group 1 (motorsport), a regulation set of the FIA for series-production touring cars used in motorsport. * Group One Thoroughbred horse races, the leading e ...

races won with 14, surpassing the previous New Zealand record of 13 set by the great mare

Sunline Sunline (29 September 1995 – 1 May 2009) was a champion New Zealand-bred Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse who was the world's highest earning race mare of her time. She won 32 of her 48 races with earnings of NZ$14,200,000. She was named t ...

and only one off the Australian record of 15 set by

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Background

Melody Belle was bred at Haunui Farm in

Karaka, New Zealand Karaka is a small rural area in the south of Auckland, New Zealand. Formerly part of Franklin District and under the authority of the Franklin District Council, it is now part of Auckland Council (under the Franklin Local Board) following the am ...

. She was bred by Haunui's longest standing client, Marie Leicester. Melody Belle is a member of the famous "Belle" family brought to the fore by Marie's parents, James and Annie Sarten. Melody Belle was then sold for

NZ$ The New Zealand dollar (; currency sign, sign: $; ISO 4217, code: NZD) is the official currency and legal tender of New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Niue, the Ross Dependency, Tokelau, and a British territory, the Pitcairn Islands. Within New Zeal ...

57,500 at the 2016 New Zealand Premier Yearling Sale.

Racing career

Melody Belle was trained throughout her career by Jamie Richards, and ridden in the majority of her races by top Kiwi jockey

Opie Bosson Owen Patrick "Opie" Bosson (born 24 July 1980) is a jockey in Thoroughbred racing in New Zealand. Riding career Bosson started as an apprentice for Stephen Autridge, his godfather. He began his race-day riding career as a 15 year old on 25 Oc ...

. She also had a close bond with her

strapper A strapper is a British English term, mostly used in Australia, for a person holding a position looking after racehorses. The duties range from cleaning out the stables and yards, feeding, grooming and rugging horses, plus saddling horses for tra ...

Ashley Handley.

2016/2017: Two-Year-Old Season

Melody Belle made a successful start to her racing career, winning her debut at Ruakaka Racecourse in October 2016 under jockey Cameron Lammas. In her next two races, she came third at

Trentham Racecourse Trentham Racecourse is the main thoroughbred horse racecourse for the Wellington city area in New Zealand. It is located in the suburb of Trentham, New Zealand, Trentham in Upper Hutt, next to Trentham Military Camp. The races are conducted by t ...

on 3 December under Cameron Lammas, then changed to jockey Michael McNab and came eighth at

Ellerslie Racecourse Ellerslie Racecourse is the main racecourse in Auckland, New Zealand, for thoroughbred racehorses. It is an undulating, grass circuit in the suburb of Ellerslie, New Zealand, Ellerslie, with a circumference of just under 1,900 metres. Racing ...

on 14 January 2017. Ridden by Opie Bosson for the first time, Melody Belle rebounded to win the prestigious Two-Year-Old Karaka Million at

on 29 January. She missed the

Group One Group One, Group 1, Grade I or G1 is the term used for the highest level of Thoroughbred and Standardbred stakes races in many countries. In Europe, the level of races for Thoroughbred racing is determined using the Pattern races, Pattern race sys ...

Sistema Stakes because of injury, and was pointed to the

$225,000

Manawatu Sires Produce Stakes The Manawatu Sires Produce Stakes is a Group One horse race held for Thoroughbred two-year-olds at Awapuni Racecourse in Palmerston North, New Zealand run over 1400 metres in late March or early April. The race was first run in 1908 over 1200 m ...

(1400m) at Awapuni Racecourse on 1 March. Ridden by Michael McNab again, she won the Manawatu Sires Produce which made her one of the top two-year-old fillies. She went to Australia and trialed ahead of her next start, the Group 2 $250,000 Brisbane Sires Produce Stakes at

Eagle Farm Racecourse Eagle Farm Racecourse is a heritage-listed horse racing venue in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is located at the northern end of Racecourse Road in the suburb of Ascot, from the Brisbane central business district. The turf track is wi ...

on 27 May. She was ridden by Bosson and won by four lengths. Winning the

and the Brisbane Sires Produce was a rare feat for a New Zealand-trained horse, and she had won almost twenty times her $57,500 purchase price. She finished her two-year-old season on 10 June with a tenth place in the J.J. Atkins Stakes at Doomben, where she was ridden by

Damian Lane Damian Lane (born 6 February 1994) is an Australian jockey based in Victoria. Lane was born in Bunbury in Western Australia to Michael and Vickey Lane, who were both horse trainers. He grew up around horses, and began his career in Western A ...

. Melody Belle was named Champion Two-Year-Old for the 2016/2017 season.

2017/2018: Three-Year-Old Season

Melody Belle was spelled 182 days before her next start on 9 December 2017, now as a three-year-old. Ridden by Michael McNab, she came third in a handicap at

. She then came sixth in the Railway Stakes, a prestigious sprint at Ellerslie on 1 January 2018, ridden by Michael McNab. She then ran in the Group 3 $70,000 Mongolian Khan Trophy, again at

, which she won by 3.5 lengths under Opie Bosson in her only win as a three-year-old. She went to

Randwick Racecourse Royal Randwick Racecourse is a racecourse for horse racing located in the Eastern Suburbs (Sydney), Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales. Randwick Racecourse is Crown Land leased to the Australian Turf Club and known to many Sydney r ...

in Australia for her final two starts of the season, a fifth-place finish in the

Light Fingers Stakes The Light Fingers Stakes is an Australian Turf Club Group 2 Thoroughbred horse race, for three-year-old fillies at set weights, over a distance of 1200 metres at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia every February. History The race is named i ...

on 17 February under Rory Hutchings, and a ninth-place finish in the Surround Stakes on 3 March under Hugh Bowman.

2018/2019: Four-Year-Old Season

In her 4yo season, Melody Belle improved significantly, winning all three starts. In her first start on 18 August, Shafiq Rusof rode her to win the Group 2 $100,000 Foxbridge Plate (1200m) at

Te Rapa Te Rapa is a mixed light industrial, large-scale retail and semi-rural suburb to the northwest of Hamilton Central, central Hamilton, New Zealand. It is built on a flat area that was previously the bed of an ancient river, the forerunner to the ...

Racecourse against a strong field. The victory gave trainer Jamie Richards his first win as the sole trainer for Te Akau Racing, and it was on his birthday. Melody Belle then won the first two legs of the New Zealand Triple Crown, giving her back-to-back Group 1 wins. She was ridden by Shafiq Rusof in both races. The first victory was in the Group 1 $200,000

Tarzino Trophy The Tarzino Trophy also known as the Challenge Stakes is a Thoroughbred horse race run at Hastings Racecourse in Hawke's Bay and is New Zealand's first Group One race of the season. It is run over a distance of 1400m in September. The race is th ...

(1400m) on 1 September, on the first day of the Hawkes Bay Racing Carnival at Hastings Racecourse. The second victory was in the Group 1 $200,000

Windsor Park Plate The Arrowfield Stud Plate is a New Zealand Thoroughbred horse race run at Hastings Racecourse in Hawke's Bay. The race is registered as the Horlicks Plate and has been previously known as: * the Windsor Park Plate. In 2022 the race sponsor and na ...

(1600m). The race is currently run as the Horlicks Plate. She did not attempt to win the final leg and become the first horse to win the New Zealand Triple Crown. After a spell of 101 days, Melody Belle returned on 1 January 2019, coming third from the outside gate in the Group 1 Railway Stakes under Shafiq Rusof again. She then finished 16th in the prestigious

Telegraph Handicap The Telegraph Handicap is a Group One New Zealand horse race contested by the Wellington Racing Club at Trentham Racecourse in Upper Hutt. It was traditionally raced during the Wellington Cup carnival in mid-January, however from 2025 it has bee ...

sprint under Jason Waddell after being the short-priced favorite. Stepping up in distance, Melody Belle hit a run of form through the New Zealand summer. Firstly she earned her fourth Group 1 win in the $200,000

Waikato Sprint The Waikato Sprint currently run as the BCD Group Sprint is a Group One, Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race run at Te Rapa Racecourse in Hamilton, New Zealand, Hamilton in early February. It is currently held on the same day as the Group 1 New Zeala ...

at Te Rapa in February under Troy Harris. Two weeks later on 23 February, she won the Group 1 $200,000 Haunui Classic (1600m) at Otaki Racecourse. Her jockey in the race, Opie Bosson, had now won every Group 1 race in

. In her first race further than a mile, Melody Belle won the $200,000 Group 1

New Zealand Stakes The New Zealand Stakes, currently run as the Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes, is a Group One thoroughbred horse race in New Zealand. It is run at Ellerslie Racecourse on Champions Day in March of every year, with a stake of $1 million.https://www ...

(2000m), under Bosson again. She won against dual Group 1 winner Danzdanzdance after a battle down the homestretch. The victory was her fifth Group 1 of the season and her sixth Group 1 win in her career, surpassing Darci Brahma as Te Akau's horse with the Group 1 wins. At the NZTR Horse of the Year Awards in September, Melody Belle was crowned the Champion Sprinter/Miler and the

for the 2018/2019 season, receiving 59 of the available 61 votes.

2019/2020: Five-Year-Old Season

Melody Belle was spelled 161 days and then kicked off the 2019/2020 season on 17 August with a fourth place in the Group 2 $100,000 Foxbridge Plate at

Racecourse under Michael McNab. She then returned to

Hastings Racecourse Hastings Racecourse is a horse-racing facility at Hastings Park, four miles from Downtown Vancouver. Originally called East Park, it opened for business in 1889, making it Vancouver's longest continuously used professional sports facility. The rac ...

in late August to race for the second time in the first leg of the New Zealand's Triple Crown, the Group 1 $200,000

(1400m). She cruised to victory under Michael McNab. Three weeks later, Melody Belle returned in the second leg of the Triple Crown, the Group 1

(1600m), for the second time. She won by nearly three lengths under Opie Bosson, tying with the two-time

Mufhasa for the most Group 1 wins in New Zealand with eight. Huge crowds gathered to watch the Livamol Spring Classic on 5 October, where Opie Bosson rode Melody Belle into the history books as she became the only horse to win the New Zealand's Triple Crown. By winning the Triple Crown, Melody Belle had won three Group 1 races in only five weeks. With the win, she also became the only horse to win 9

races in

. Keeping her brilliant win streak alive, Melody Belle returned under Opie Bosson to win the Group 1 $1,000,000

Empire Rose Stakes The Empire Rose Stakes, is a Victoria Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race held under Weight for Age conditions, for fillies and mares aged three-years-old and upwards, over a distance of 1600 metres, held at Flemington Racecourse, Melbour ...

(1600m) at

Flemington Racecourse Flemington Racecourse is a major horse racing venue located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is most notable for hosting the Melbourne Cup, which is the world's richest handicap and the world's richest 3200-metre horse race. The race ...

in Australia on

Australian Derby The Australian Derby is an Australian Turf Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds at set weights held at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney, Australia in April, during the Autumn ATC Championships Carnival. The race is considered to b ...

Day, 2 November. This was her first Group 1 win in Australia and her tenth Group 1 win overall. Melody Belle stayed in

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

and came second from gate 15 under Bosson in the Group 1 $2,000,000

Mackinnon Stakes The VRC Champions Stakes, registered as the ''LKS Mackinnon Stakes'', is a Victoria Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race run under Weight for Age conditions over a distance of 2000 metres at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia o ...

on 9 November against star mare Magic Wand. After a 105-day spell, Melody Belle returned to Australia for am autumn campaign. Her first race was the Group 1 Futurity Stakes (1400m) on 22 February, which she finished third under Bosson. She came third again with Bosson in the All Star Mile on 14 March. On 4 April, Bosson rode her again in the Doncaster Mile where they cane fourth over a very heavy track. Her autumn campaign concluded with a gritty fifth-place finish in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Royal Randwick on 4 April under Kerrin McEvoy. Melody Belle was named 2019/2020 Champion Sprinter Miler and Champion Middle Distance Horse, as well as being crowned Horse of the Year for the second consecutive year.

2020/2021: Six-Year-Old Season

Melody Belle was spelled 119 days and then came sixth in the

Missile Stakes The Missile Stakes is an Australian Turf Club Group 2 Thoroughbred horse race for three year olds and older run at Weight for Age over a distance of 1200 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney, Australia in August. Prizemoney is A$300,000. History ...

with Kerrin McEvoy on 8 August. On 22 August, she came 11th in the Group 1 Winx Stakes under Kerrin McEvoy, and then she returned to New Zealand. Her first start back in New Zealand was the Group 1 Windsor Park Plate (1600m) on 3 October. She was ridden by Troy Harris and won by a nose over stablemate Avantage. This was the Te Akau's fourth consecutive Windsor Park Plate win, with Melody Belle's three wins coming after the win by Gingernuts in 2017. On 17 October, Melody Belle ran in the Group 1 Livamol Spring Classic, where she tried to make it a seventh Group 1 win at Hastings in seven starts there. Under Troy Harris, Melody Belle achieved back-to-back wins in the Livamol Spring Classic, giving Te Akau five Livamol Classic wins and bringing her total Group 1 wins to 12. She then came third in the

on 7 November at

in Australia before coming back to New Zealand. She trialed on 12 January 2021 at Matamata ahead of her next start. She won the Group 1

Thorndon Mile The Thorndon Mile (formally WRC George Adams Handicap) is a Group One (G1) Thoroughbred horse race contested at Trentham Racecourse by the Wellington Racing Club. The race is run on Wellington Cup day, traditionally the last Saturday of January. ...

(1600m) on 30 January at

, equalling the record of 13

wins set by

. It was also her eighteenth career win. In February, Melody Belle disappointed in the Herbie Dyke Stakes at Te Rapa, where she was trying to become the all-time leader of Group 1 wins. On 13 March, Melody Belle won the

Auckland Cup The Auckland Cup is an annual race held by the Auckland Racing Club (ARC). It is an Open Handicap for thoroughbred racehorses competed on the flat turf over 3200 metres (two miles) at Ellerslie Racecourse in Auckland, New Zealand. The race was ...

day, defeating Avantage in a stretch battle to set an all-time record for most

wins by a New Zealand-trained horse with 14. Melody Belle went to Australia for her final races and a broodmare career. She had muscle tie-up after her trackwork a few days before the

Tancred Stakes H E Tancred Stakes is an Australian Turf Club Group 1 Weight for Age Thoroughbred horse race for horses three years old and older, run over 2,400 metres at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse in Sydney, Australia. The prize money for the event is A$1,500 ...

, where stepping up to 2400m. She was passed fit to race by Racing New South Wales vets and finished sixth. She then finished 10th to winner

Zaaki Zaaki (foaled 15 February 2015) is a British-bred and Australian-trained thoroughbred racehorse that has won multiple Group One races. Background Ahmad Alotaibi bought Zaaki for 40,000 Guineas at the 2016 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale out o ...

in the Hollindale Stakes at Aquis Park. She had a bad barrier position and was checked halfway down the stretch. Melody Belle's final race was the Doomben Cup at

Doomben Racecourse Doomben Racecourse is a horse racing venue in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is located in the suburb of Ascot, Queensland, Ascot, 7 kilometres north of the Brisbane central business district. The Doomben course neighbours another tho ...

on 22 May, where she finished fifth to Zaaki. She finished her career with a record of 41 races with 19 wins, 1 second-place finish, and 6 third-place finishes. She won 46% and placed in 63% of her races. Her wins came from 900m (around 0.5 miles) to 2040m (around 1 1/4 miles). Her earnings came to $4,024,052.

Breeding career

Upon her racing retirement, Melody Belle was sold for A$2.6 million at the

Magic Millions Magic Millions Sales Pty Ltd is an Australian Thoroughbred racehorse auction house which holds auctions around Australia each year including its world famous Gold Coast Yearling Sale at Surfers Paradise in Queensland. Seven days of auctions are j ...

National Broodmare Sale in May 2021. She was purchased by Yulong Investments and was sent to their sire

Written Tycoon Written Tycoon (foaled 6 September 2002) is a Group races, stakes winning Australian Thoroughbred racehorse and successful sire who has sired multiple Group One, Group 1 winners. Racing career Written Tycoon commenced his race career with an eas ...

. She had her first foal in August 2022. The following year she was served by Diatonic, winner of the 2020 Hakodate Sprint Stakes and 2022 Hankyu Hai,

Hanshin Cup The is a Grade 2 race in Japan. It is held at Hanshin Racecourse in Takarazuka, Hyogo. The race was first run in 2006 and is run over 1,400 metres (about 7 furlongs) on the inner turf course. It was upgraded to international status in 2009. ...

and Swan Stakes.

Pedigree

References

{{reflist Individual mares 2014 racehorse births Horses in New Zealand Racehorses bred in New Zealand Racehorses trained in New Zealand Thoroughbred family 18 New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame horses