Group 1 runner-up arrives safely in Australia ahead of SA campaign
Belle du Nord has headed to Australia with fresh legs for a two-race Adelaide campaign.
The Group One performer arrived safely in Melbourne on Wednesday night and was accompanied by her stablemate Monarch Chimes.
Runner-up in last season’s Gr.1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes, Belle du Nord added another top-flight placing to her record this term in the Gr.1 Levin Classic (1600m) before finishing a last-start seventh in the Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m).
“She didn’t really look like she stayed the Oaks distance so we’ve freshened her right up,” said Emma-Lee Browne, who trains the Reliable Man filly with her husband David.
“It was a little bit too far for her, it was roughly run and she got a bit of a bump along the way so she wasn’t disgraced.
“She’s travelled over here well and she’ll go on to Adelaide and run at Morphettville in the Laelia Stakes over a mile on Saturday week and then on to the Schweppervescence Stakes over 1800m on April 21.”
The Laelia is a Listed contest and the Schweppervescence is a Group Three event.
Monarch Chimes will remain in Melbourne where he will resume his jumping career.
“He’s going to trial at Cranbourne next week for his ticket over here and all going well he’ll probably run at Pakenham,” Browne said.
Monarch Chimes made an immediate impact over the smaller fences last winter when he won his first three starts and was turned out after he ran fourth in the Great Northern Hurdles (4190m).
The Shinko King gelding has had three flat runs this preparation and last time out he finished runner-up over 2000m at Matamata.