Bellatrix Star Sparkles in Eclipse

Classy filly Bellatrix Star (Star Witness) took her career to new heights in the $225,000 Group Two Skycity Eclipse Stakes (1200m) at Pukekohe on New Year’s Day, staking her claim for higher honours in the coming weeks and shining a spotlight on her half-brother catalogued for Karaka 2024.

Bellatrix Star was an $80,000 bargain buy by David Ellis and Fortuna Racing from Phoenix Park’s Book 1 draft at Karaka 2023. She has had four starts for two wins and two placings, already banking $167,700 for the Fortuna Bellatrix Star Syndicate.

Trained by Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson, Bellatrix Star wasted no time in making her mark on the two-year-old scene in the spring – winning the very first juvenile race on the New Zealand calendar at Wanganui on September 2.

Her next two starts produced a third at Te Rapa and a second in the Listed Counties Challenge Stakes (1100m) at Pukekohe, beaten on both occasions by Velocious (Written Tycoon). That may have given the impression that Bellatrix Star was slipping down the two-year-old pecking order, but the Eclipse Stakes proved otherwise.

Pre-race attention was dominated by second favourite Velocious and the red-hot favourite Move To Strike (I Am Invincible), a highly rated stablemate of Bellatrix Star who had won by a wide margin on debut. But those who overlooked Bellatrix Star did so at their peril, and she brilliantly toppled the two favourites on Monday.

Bellatrix Star left the starting gates slightly awkwardly, then settled at the back of the field as Move To Strike and Velocious both sat just behind the leaders and poised to pounce.

That pair burst to the front with 300 metres remaining, but then Bellatrix Star came bounding down the outside and joined them. Those three horses drew eight lengths clear of the rest of the field to fight out a tight finish, and Bellatrix Star was strongest and toughest through the last 50 metres and won by a long head.

“I saw the back of Opie when he was making a move (on Move to Strike), so I opted to track him through,” winning jockey Warren Kennedy said. “The filly was building good momentum, so I just allowed her to drift to the outside and she gave me a lovely kick.

“The key was settling her today – she’s been a bit fierce in her racing. So I just let her come out where she was happy. She ended up at the back of the field, but pretty relaxed, and that was the key. She had energy for the finish.

“For a while I thought Opie’s horse was going to rally back at me, but she was courageous and held an advantage to the line.”

Walker and Bergerson now have their sights firmly set on the $1m TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) at Ellerslie on January 27. The Te Akau Racing stable has won the juvenile showpiece seven times in a row, starting with the Fortuna-owned Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands) in 2017. She was followed by Avantage (Fastnet Rock), Probabeel (NZ) (Savabeel), Cool Aza Beel (NZ) (Savabeel), On The Bubbles (Brazen Beau), Dynastic (NZ) (Almanzor) and Tokyo Tycoon (NZ) (Satono Aladdin).

“Warren got her to relax really nicely today,” Walker said. “She didn’t quite have all favours last start, but she showed today that when she’s ridden back further off the speed, she really has a good turn of foot. She’s peaking at the right time for the Millions, which has always been her target.”

A half-brother to Bellatrix Star will be offered by Phoenix Park at Karaka 2024. The colt by young sire Royal Meeting will go through the ring as Lot 563 in the Book 1 session.

Vendor	Phoenix Park
Purchaser	Mr DC Ellis (BAFNZ)/Fortuna Racing (Te Akau)
Breeding	Star Witness – Alana’s Party
Sale	Lot 20, Karaka 2023 Book 1, $80,000
Bred by	Mr R Dunnett

Photo: Race Images