Melody Belle matches Sunline s 13 G1 wins with Thorndon Mile victory at Trentham
Melody Belle matches Sunline s 13 G1 wins with Thorndon Mile victory Top NZ mare Melody Belle Image: Getty
Melody Belle has equalled Sunline s record of 13 Group One wins by a New Zealand horse with victory in Saturday s Thorndon Mile at Trentham.
The Jamie Richards-trained mare was expected to get the job done in her first-up run for the campaign, sent around as the $1.40 favourite.
While she was made to fight for the record-matching victory, Melody Belle s class shone through, taking out the Thorndon Mile by just over a length.
Rider Troy Harris had a lapful of horse as he angled into the clear at the 300m where Tavi Mac dashed to the front and cleared out from his rivals, eventually posting a one and a half-length winning margin over Callsign Mav with southern mare Kiwi Ida taking third. Sharrock makes no secret of the affection he holds for his pint-sized poster boy. “He has a special place in my heart, this horse,” Sharrock said. “He’s not the best horse I’ve ever trained, but he is the toughest I’ve ever laid a hand on. “The tenacity he shows every time he lines up is just amazing.