BELLE HOLDS COURT

Another city double!

Must confess that I’ve never been to Murtoa, but given that Peter Moody trains Black Caviar and I couldn’t train a pig to be dirty, I’m prepared to take note when he sings the praises of Murtoa racetrack as an ideal entrée to city competition.

Cyberhorse’s Carl Di Iorio takes up the story of Moody’s Belle of the Court, who was the other half of yet another city double for Bel Esprit yesterday.

Bendigo racetrack is dubbed the ‘Nursery of Champions’ but perhaps Murtoa is a venue more fitting for such a description this season, particularly with horses from the Peter Moody stable.

Moment Of Change won by 10 lengths on debut at Murtoa before romping home by 3.75 lengths at Sandown Lakeside a fortnight later.

The latest ‘Moody Murtoa’ winner was Belle Of The Court, a winner by 3.25 lengths on debut, who then came out today and scored an all the way victory in the $70,000 Yellowglen Plate (1400m) for 3YO fillies at Caulfield yesterday.

“It’s a terrific track Murtoa … there’s probably not a better surface in Victoria and we’re not afraid to take them there,” Moody said.

“She (Belle of the Court) has done a good job and is a very promising filly,” jockey Luke Nolen added.

Moody said that should Belle Of The Court pull up well that she will contest a stakes race over the Melbourne Cup carnival.

At this stage this is likely to be either the $150,000 Lexus Hybrid Plate (1400m) on Melbourne Cup day or the $150,000 Gucci Stakes (1200m) on Oaks day.

Belle Of The Court is by Bel Esprit out of Dehere mare Miss Lenglen, who was also raced by the same owners of Belle Of The Court.

Miss Lenglen raced twice for a Cranbourne maiden victory at her second outing.

Photo by Fiona Tomlin

ASCOT BLACKOUT

Meanwhile, across the Nullabor, the Bruce Watkins trained Babieca Noire made it a city double for Bel Esprit by taking out the Sports Bar Handicap (1200m) at Ascot.

Now taking his earnings past the $100k mark, Babieca Noir has won two in town this campaign after scoring over 1000m at Belmont when resuming.

Bred by Simon Hearnden-Hunter, Babieca Noire is a near black 6YO and is out of yet another Snippets mare in French Snip (gee, the Bel Esprit/Snippets is an awesome nick!).

Evidently ‘Noir’ is French for black, but had to do some further research for Babieca.

Evidently Babieca was the horse ridden by Rodrigo Diaz de Bivar, better known in Spanish folklore as El Cid.

According to the story (click here), Babieca died two years after El Cid – at the age of 40!! – and was buried next to his former master.