Bella Galeano records first win in 983 days at Newcastle
TEAM Waller were rapt with seven-year-old mare Bella Galeano, which broke through for her first win in 983 days at Newcastle on Friday.
The daughter of Don Eduardo and Distinction settled in the back half of the field before jockey Kerrin McEvoy got to work approaching the home turn, hitting the lead strides before the post and fighting off a challenge from Bon Equus to record her third career win at start 20.
It was the first time she had saulted since winning at her second start at Warwick Farm back in January 2015.
Chris Waller’s racing manager Liam Prior said Bella Galeano was placed to perfection over the 2300m trip.
“She was well placed in the right grade today,” Prior told Horse Betting at the track.
“Her work had been good coming into today’s race and she was probably at the right trip today.
“She was able to show a bit of tenacity and stamina over the concluding stages because at first it didn’t quite look like she was going to get there – the last 100 she really had to dig in.”
Prior concedes the stable had trouble placing the brown mare leading up to the race, but had been encouraged by a last start fourth at Gosford over 2100m.
“Her run the other day was good. She was only beaten two and a half lengths by the winner and Kerrin was quite positive about her, albeit a little bit inconclusive on where she was at coming into today.
“She is a mare that needs to wind up and build into it – she doesn’t have a short, sharp turn of foot so a tight track like Gosford is not ideal for her.”
Prior said the tempo of the race helped Bella Galeano get the win, which took her career earnings to just a few hundred shy of $90,000.
“When the pace backed off around the mile mark the backmarkers went forward and it just maintained the gallop – that suited her opposed to a sit and sprint style race.”
With a shortage of races in the immediate future, Prior was unsure of the plans for Bella Galeano moving forward, but suggested she is likely to remain in work for the next few months before heading to the breeding barn.
“She is a city winner but it is tough to place horses like her mid week when the rating races go up and Saturday races are dominated by Stakes races,” he said.
“I’d say the owner will keep on racing her through the summer months. She is a lovely type and she has a great temperament so I am sure she’ll make a good mum when that time comes.”