Belclare’s (NZ) (Per Incanto) failure to reach her A$700,000 reserve at the Magic Millions Gold Coast National Broodmare sale earlier this year has proven to be a blessing in disguise for owner-breeder David Woodhouse.
Following a 11-win career in New Zealand in the care of trainer Lisa Latta, including two editions of the Gr.1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeder’s Stakes (1600m), Woodhouse had every faith that his mare could measure up in Australia and entrusted her to the care of Sydney trainer Bjorn Baker following the sale.
“The reason I didn’t hesitate (to race her in Australia) when she didn’t make the reserve was because in all her Group One and Two wins she had won so easily that I thought she had it in her to perform at that level (in Australia), so it was worth the punt,” Woodhouse said.
The daughter of Per Incanto was fifth when first-up in the Gr.2 Sheraco Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill last month before finishing seventh in the A$1.5 million Alan Brown Stakes (1400m) at Randwick earlier this month.
Baker was keen to continue down the path of rich features, identifying the A$2 million Gr.2 The Invitation (1400m) at Randwick last Saturday as her next target, and she caused an upset when taking out the rich feature at odds of 26-1.
The A$1 million winner’s cheque more than repaid Woodhouse’s faith in his mare, and he was delighted she was able to showcase her talent in Australia.
“It was incredible,” Woodhouse said. “It’s once in a lifetime, but I hope it’s not, I hope there are more to come.”
Woodhouse has been a hands-on owner with Belclare throughout her career, transporting her to the majority of her races himself in New Zealand, and he said his familiarity with her helped gauge her condition in Australia, and pass that feedback onto Baker.
“I was over there for the two previous races,” he said. “The first one she just took off and Rachel (King, jockey) said the saddle moved a little bit and she took fright. The second one Tyler (Schiller, jockey) came in and said that she had ran out of condition, but she raced a bit keenly early on.
“When she was in New Zealand I took her to nearly every race and I would weigh her when I got her back to Lisa’s stable,” Woodhouse said. “I knew her best weight was 500kg or under and just looking at her over there, I farmed all my life, and I knew that she was overweight.
“I kept telling Bjorn after the first and second trip that I thought she was still in too good of condition. After her last start he said he would put her on a diet and himself on a diet.
“He rang me yesterday (Monday) and said she was down to 495kg, she was 506kg before the race. If we want to go a mile, just under that 500kg will be perfect.”
Woodhouse said a gear change also aided her chances over the weekend.
“He took the blinkers off and I think that was a major factor,” he said. “She was racing too keenly with the blinkers. I think that he has got her feeling so well that she just wanted to go.”
Baker and Woodhouse considered a trip to Melbourne with their mare next week to tackle the A$3 million Gr.1 Champions Mile (1600m) at Flemington, but Woodhouse was put off by the long float trip, so they have opted for local targets to see out her spring preparation.
“I think we have settled on the Hot Danish (Gr.2, 1400m), which is in two weeks at Rosehill,” Woodhouse said. “From there we will just see whether she has got another one in her or we give her a bit of a break until autumn and see if we can pick up a big one in the autumn.”
Still coming down from the high of winning a A$2 million Group Two in Australia, Woodhouse was justifiably in high spirits when watching Gr.1 Barneswood Farm New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) aspirant Connello (NZ) (Time Test) compete at Trentham on Sunday.
The three-year-old daughter of Time Test took out her 1400m contest by 2-3/4 lengths and booked her trip south to Riccarton in the process, much to the delight of Woodhouse.
“That was fantastic,” he said. “She is a surprise package with how well she is going. Lisa (Latta, trainer) has got her absolutely humming.
“Being a Time Test, some of them are up and down, but she just tries her heart out every time.
“We are going to go south and have a crack at the Guineas.”
Woodhouse is rapt to have two quality racehorses on his hands, and after more than half a century in racing he said the experience isn’t lost on him.
“It is unbelievable, but it has been 51 years of trying,” he quipped.
