SOFT WIN FOR BEL

With seven winners in the past week, Bel Esprit has moved into equal second on the Australian Sires’ premiership (by winners) with 58 individual winners to his credit.

The clearly speedy, Colin Little-trained, Miss Softhands became No. 58 with a confident debut at Bendigo on Thursday.

Bred and raced by Paul Harcourt, Miss Softhands it out of the Grand Lodge mare, Winslet, who was actually purchased by Little as a yearling in 1998 but raced just the once.

Fortunately, she’s turned out to be a more than handy mare with four winners from five runners, including Moonee Valley winner Krasky who notched up four victories for the Caulfield trainer.

Winslet is also a sister to stakes winner Kattavia and hails from the family of Caulfield Cup winner Descarado.

Interestingly, the Bel Esprit x Grand Lodge nick has produced five winners from five runners – the pick of them being Work The Room, who won three races for Little (including two in town) before heading to Robert Heathcote’s Queensland stables and success in last year’s Tatts Mile-LR at Eagle Farm.