Grinzinger Belle (NZ) Leaves Rivals Behind in Let’s Elope

Classy Karaka graduate Grinzinger Belle (NZ) (Shamexpress) kicked off her four-year-old season in spectacular front-running style in Saturday’s A$300,000 Group Two Furphy Let’s Elope Stakes (1400m) at Flemington.

Bought for $32,000 from the Book 2 draft of Windsor Park Stud at Karaka 2022, Grinzinger Belle has now earned A$450,155 from a 12-race career that has produced three wins and four placings.

This was the second black-type success for Grinzinger Belle, who launched her autumn campaign in similar style with victory in the Group Three The Vanity (1400m) over the same course and distance in February. Trainer Danny O’Brien followed the same formula this time around and was rewarded with an even more convincing performance.

Jockey Damian Lane drove Grinzinger Belle forward from her wide gate, taking the lead inside the first 200 metres of the race. She dominated the race from that point on, kicking away in the straight and leaving the field’s other 14 mares gasping in her wake. Virtually eased down by Lane inside the final 50 metres, Grinzinger Belle won by four lengths.

“She was very good,” Lane said. “She’s a good fresh horse. Her first trial was so-so and then she trialled much better last time. She obviously took good improvement from that and she was cherry-ripe for today.”

O’Brien is now working backwards from the Group One Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) at Flemington in November.

“Very happy,” O’Brien said. “She won the Vanity in the autumn first-up and we thought she was in similar order today, although she was tackling a deeper field. There were some very classy mares in that race today.

“She always travelled well in the run, but I didn’t think she’d open up and win like that. Really pleased that she’s come back as well as she has.

“She’s a good Kiwi-bred by Shamexpress, who we trained and is so close to our hearts. She seemed to handle today’s conditions well. We’d aim to be here on Derby Day for the Group One race for fillies and mares.”