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Beautiful Bella does it again in G1 Tatt's Tiara

29th Jun 2024

Amazing mare Bella Nipotina (Pride Of Dubai) secured a third career G1 win and took her earnings to almost $11m with a breathtaking victory in today’s Tatt’s Tiara at Eagle Farm.

The Ciaron Maher-trained Bella Nipotina is an incredible racehorse – she has finished no worse than sixth at her past 17 starts and has been within 2.3L of the winner at 16 of those 17 runs.

In the past three months alone she has raced in NSW, Victoria, Queensland and WA and she has contested four G1 races during the Brisbane Winter Carnival – the Doomben 10,000, Kingsford Smith Cup, Stradbroke Handicap and Tatt’s Tiara, finishing in the quinella on each occasion including two wins.

Today she was forced to race three-wide without cover from barrier 17 but it mattered little as jockey Ryan Maloney guided her to the easiest of victories.

The 6YO mare will now be sent for a freshen up before being set for the $20m The Everest, to be run at Randwick in October.

Bred and raced by Michael Christian, Bella Nipotina (pictured) was just an $80,000 purchase out of the Rosemont Stud draft at the Premier Yearling Sale for Lindsay Park, Andrew Williams and Mt Hallowell Stud.

She is one of 99 individual G1-winning Inglis graduates since 2018 and one of 44 that could have been purchased for $100,000 or less in that period.

Christian described Bella Nipotina as a “freak’’ following today’s victory.

“I’m numb all over, I’m just in awe of her,’’ a delighted Christian said.

“It’s been an amazing day and she’s an amazing mare, a freak of a mare. In 51 starts before today, she’d only started favourite two or three times and while she doesn’t know the odds, it was quite nerve-racking today knowing so many people had backed her and I was just happy for the mare that she was able to deliver for those who had their money on her.

“The Everest is the clear goal now. Based on what she’s done against the absolute best sprinters – not only up here in Queensland but her 2^nd in the [G1] TJ Smith she beat home some very good horses that day – I think she’s proven once and for all she can mix it with and defeat the best.’’

Bella Nipotina is $13 with Ladbrokes for The Everest, to be run at Randwick on October 19.

Winning trainer Maher added: “She’s just phenomenal, I don’t know what else to say about her.

“To race in all four [G1s in Brisbane] and be as good in the last as she was in the first, and that’s on the back of going to Perth and running in the autumn in Sydney, it’s phenomenal.’’

Bella Nipotina was one of six Stakes-winning Inglis graduates around Australia today, joined by Vow and Declare (G3 Tatt’s Cup), Zarastro (G3 WJ Healy Stakes), Cottee (Listed Tatt’s Mile), Princess Rhaenys (Listed Tatt’s Gold Crown) and Femminile (Listed Oaklands Plate).

The 8YO Vow And Declare (Declaration Of War) wound back the clock, winning the same race at Eagle Farm today that he won in 2019 prior to his G1 Melbourne Cup victory the same year.

The Danny O’Brien-trained star – a Classic Yearling Sale offering of Kitchwin Hills – has now won almost $7.7m in prizemoney in what has been a spectacular career.

Vow And Declare was bred by Paul Lanskey.

It was an Inglis graduates quinella in the Listed Tatt’s Mile at Eagle Farm as Cottee (Merchant Navy) defeated Iknowastar.

Trained by Mark Currie in Toowoomba, Cottee secured a valuable first Stakes success with the tough victory, securing a sixth career win at just start No.14.

The Go Bloodstock-bred Cottee is a $20,000 Classic Yearling Sale bargain buy for Ciaron Maher, from the Coolmore draft.

The 4YO mare has now won $260,000 in prizemoney.

It was also a first Stakes win for the Tony Gollan-trained Princess Rhaenys (Iffraaj) at Eagle Farm when she fought it out for a narrow victory in the Gold Crown.

It was a second consecutive victory for the consistent 6YO during the Brisbane Winter Carnival.

Bred by the Hong Kong Breeders Club, Princess Rhaenys is raced by Linda Huddy of Peachester Lodge, who bought her for $460,000 at the Easter Yearling Sale, where she was offered by Glastonbury Farms.

Also at Eagle Farm quality sprinter Zarastro (I Am Invincible) scored an eighth career win – and third at Stakes level – when leading all the way to claim the G3 WJ Healy Stakes.

Trainer Tony Gollan purchased Zarastro for $32,500 in the Inglis Digital October (Late) Online Sale 2022 and since then he has raced 13 times for six wins, two minor placings and won $550,000 in prizemoney.

And at Morphettville today talented 2YO Femminile (Dundeel) earned black type at just her second career outing with an extraordinary win in the Listed Oaklands Plate over 1400m.

Femminile debuted in Victoria earlier this month before her trainer Phillip Stokes targeted today’s juvenile feature and it paid immediate dividends, scoring a strong win.

Stokes teamed up with Rick Connolly to buy Femminile for $150,000 at the Easter Yearling Sale, where she was offered by Vinery Stud.

Femminile races in the colours of Terry Henderson’s OTI Racing and was bred by Aralet Pty Ltd, who also shares in the ownership.