Browne biding time with star filly Belle du Nord
PROMISING two-year-old Belle du Nord is close to a return to racing after the filly’s arrival back at Emma-Lee and David Browne’s Matamata stable following a two-month spell.
The Reliable Man filly had an impressive two-year-old season and is expected to be the one of the next stars of New Zealand racing.
Following a dominant victory over subsequent Group One J.J. Atkins runner-up Aloisia and listed Castletown Stakes winner Hard Merchandize at Trentham in March, Belle du Nord backed-up that performance by finishing second to Melody Belle in the Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes at Awapuni.
The horse’s trainer Emma Lee Browne said she thinks Belle du Nord can progress after those two strong performances.
“I was really happy with those two runs,” Browne said.
“Obviously we were in the worst of the ground in the Group One down on the fence, which was not ideal, but I thought she was very game the way she finished it off.”
Browne is also not ruling out a trip across the Tasman for the filly next season given how strongly Melody Belle and Aloisia have performed since debuting in Australia, but the trainer will leave that call to her group of owners in the Northern Club Racing Syndicate.
“We’re actually going to be having a meeting with the owners in the next week or so,” Browne said.
“There are quite a few options for her both here and Australia. It’s just weighing up what’s better for her and her syndicate of owners, because they want to enjoy her racing as much as possible.”
The star in the making has excelled over the sprint distance early in its career, but Browne believes Belle du Nord can step up in trip.
“I think her ideal distance would be a mile to 2000m, she’ll definitely get there,” she said.
“She has a really good turn of foot and has got a lot of speed so she may be able to do the shorter distances as well.
“She has developed quite a lot during her spell, she’s looking a lot stronger and feeling very well. I’m pretty excited about the season ahead for her.”