Melody Belle (horse)

Melody Belle made a successful start to her racing career, winning her debut at Ruakaka Racecourse in October 2016.

Later in the season, she won the Two-Year-Old Karaka Million at Ellerslie Racecourse.

She missed the Group One Sistema Stakes because of injury, instead making her next start in March 2017, winning the Group 1 $225,000 Manawatu Sires Produce Stakes (1400m) at Awapuni Racecourse, making her one of the top two-year-old fillies.

In her next start on May 27, she went to Australia to win the Group 2 $250,000 Sires' Produce Stakes (BRC) at Eagle Farm Racecourse by four lengths. This was a rare feat for a New Zealand-trained horse. She had won almost twenty times her $57,500 purchase price.

Melody Belle was named Champion Two-Year-Old for the 2016/2017 season.[5]

As a 3yo, Melody Belle did not live up to expectations, her only win was when she claimed the Group 3 $70,000 Mongolian Khan Trophy at Ellerslie Racecourse by 3.5 lengths.[6]

In her 4yo season, Melody Belle improved significantly. In her first start in August, she won the Group 2 $100,000 Foxbridge Plate (1200m) at Te Rapa 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 too!

Melody Belle then won the first two legs of the New Zealand Triple Crown, giving her back-to-back Group 1 wins. The first victory was in the Group 1 $200,000 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) on September 1, 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 (1600m). The race is currently run as the Horlicks Plate.[7] She did not not attempt to win the final leg and become the first horse to win the New Zealand Triple Crown.

After a spell, Melody Belle returned in 2019, coming third from the outside gate in the Group 1 Railway Stakes, a prestigious sprint at Ellerslie Racecourse on New Year's Day.

She then finished a dissapointing 16th in the prestigious Telegraph Handicap sprint after being the short priced favorite..[8]

Stepping up in distance, Melody Belle hit a remarkable run of form through the New Zealand summer. Firstly she earned her fourth Group 1 win in the $200,000 Waikato Sprint at Te Rapa in February.

Two weeks later on February 23, she won the Group 1 $200,000 Otaki-Maori Weight for Age (1600m) at Otaki Racecourse. (The race is currently run as the Haunui Farm Classic). Melody Belle's jockey Opie Bosson had now won every Group 1 race in New Zealand.

In her first race further than a mile, Melody Belle won the $200,000 Group 1 New Zealand Stakes (2000m)[9], her first attempt over the distance. She won against dual Group 1 winner Danzdanzdance after an epic two-horse war down the homestretch where Melody Belle refused to give in. The victory was her fifth Group 1 of the season and her sixth Group 1 win in her career, surpassing the outstanding horse 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 New Zealand Horse of the Year for the 2018/2019 season, receiving 59 of the available 61 votes.[10]

Melody Belle kicked off the 2019/2020 season with a fourth place in the Group 2 $100,000 Foxbridge Plate at Te Rapa Racecourse that she had won last season.

She then returned to Hastings Racecourse 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 Tarzino Trophy (1400m). She cruised to victory under jockey Michael McNab.

Three weeks later, Melody Belle returned in the second leg of the Triple Crown, the Group 1 Windsor Park Plate (1600m), for the second time. She won by nearly three lengths, tying with the two-time New Zealand Horse of the Year Mufhasa for the most Group 1 wins in New Zealand with eight.

Huge crowds gathered to watch the Livamol Spring Classic[11] on October 5, where Melody Belle made history in becoming the only horse to win the New Zealand’s Triple Crown.It is also known as the Hawke's Bay Triple Crown or Hastings Triple Crown as all three races are run at that course.[12] 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 Group One races in New Zealand.

On November 2, Melody Belle then won the Group 1 $1,000,000 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) at Flemington Racecourse in Australia on Australian Derby Day. This was her first Group 1 win in Australia and her tenth Group 1 win overall.

Melody Belle stayed in Melbourne and came second from gate 15 under Opie Bosson in the Group 1 $2,000,000 Mackinnon Stakes against star mare Magic Wand.

During an Australian autumn campaign, Melody Belle placed in the Group 1 Futurity Stakes and rich All Star Mile, and came fourth in the Group 1 Doncaster Handicap under topweight.[13]

She was then named New Zealand Horse of the Year for a second time.

Melody Belle won her third Windsor Park Plate which gave her 11 Group 1 wins, and won her second Livamol Spring Classic in October 2020.

She trialed on January 12 at Matamata, ahead of her next start, a win in the Grade 1 Thorndon Mile (1600m) on January 30 at Trentham Racecourse, where she equaled the record of 13 Group 1 wins set by Sunline. It was also her eighteenth career win.