Belle of the Ball (NZ) (Savabeel) justified her $1.50 favouritism in her 1400m contest at Riccarton on Wednesday when running out a clear 2-1/4 length victor in the hands of Joe Kamaruddin.
The Mark Walker-trained mare had a pleasing three-year-old season when fourth in the Listed NZB Insurance Stakes (1600m) before finishing runner-up in the Listed Warstep Stakes (2000m) in April.
She resumed with another runner-up effort behind stablemate Savito (NZ) (Savabeel) over 1300m at Taupo last month before scoring her maiden win over 1400m on the Riccarton Synthetic a fortnight ago.
She showed her liking for the surface when scoring back-to-back wins at the track on Wednesday.
“She’s a really progressive mare,” Walker said. “We’ve come back down to the South Island with the view of getting her rating high enough to contest the Spring Classic (Listed, 2000m) on 22 October at Riccarton.
“It was a lovely ride by Joe (Kamaruddin). She’s a mare that we’ve always had a lot of time for and she’s really starting to come of age.”
Belle of the Ball also holds a nomination for the Gr.2 Coupland’s Bakeries Mile (1600m) during Cup Week on 9 November at Riccarton, won last year by stablemate Markus Aurelius.
Belle Of The Ball was purchased out of Waikato Stud’s 2020 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft by Te Akau principal David Ellis for $300,000.
Walker also tasted success in the NZB Insurance Pearl Series Race (1600m) with Illicit Miss.
It was also the second consecutive win for the mare, who Ellis purchased out of Lansdowne Park’s 2020 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft for $95,000.
