Cambridge Stud Homebred Bella Waters wins G2 Tauranga Stakes

Media Release - Saturday November 16

Promising mare Bella Waters indicated she is on the right path to success in some of the upcoming major summer feature events when she came from last to secure victory in the Gr.2 Gartshore Tauranga Stakes (1600m) at Tauranga.

Carrying the colours of Cambridge Stud principals Brendan and Jo Lindsay, who bred and race her, the Moira and Kieran Murdoch-prepared five-year-old was having just her second start in a new campaign after signing off her four-year-old season with success in the Listed Rotorua Cup (2200m) back in May.

Bella Waters (outside) winning the Gr.2 Gartshore Tauranga Stakes (1600m) on Saturday.  Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)

A decent winter spell resulted in her furnishing further and following a runner-up finish in a 1000m trial at Avondale she kicked off with a handy effort when finishing midfield over 1200m at Tauranga earlier in the month.

On this occasion regular pilot Warren Kennedy was happy to settle the daughter of Sacred Falls beside the well backed Ladies Man ($3.40) at the rear of the eight-horse field and was still in last position with just 500m to run.

Kennedy tracked wide in the home straight and found plenty of space as Ladies Man battled to clear traffic when seeking an inside run, with Bella Waters driving home to nail favourite Pearl of Alsace ($2.90) on the line, winning by a nose with a further neck back to Mali Ston and Ladies Man in a blanket finish.

Moira Murdoch admitted she had some concerns when faced with a Heavy9 track in the morning (subsequently improved to a Soft6) and how relaxed the mare appeared when it was time to get serious in the home straight.

“She has really come of age and is relaxed, maybe too relaxed coming around the corner and has turned into a real racehorse,” Murdoch said.

Advertisement

“I thought she was a little unlucky first-up and we were a little worried about the track, but is has turned out really good as she is untried on the heavy.”

Murdoch is looking ahead to some lofty goals with the mare who she believes is a potential Group One performer.

“I think she is probably at that level (Group One) and she earned that today,” she said.

“It would be nice to think she could get to those big races that are coming up.”

Out of the Pivotal mare But Beautiful, who won three races in a limited career, Bella Waters is a half-sister to the Gr.2 Autumn Stakes (1800m) winner Immediacy and has now won four of her 11 starts and more than $176,000 in prizemoney. – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

Advertisment

Race Result - Gartshore Tauranga Stakes Gr2 1600m

Tauranga Track: Soft(7) Time: 1:38.42
1
Bella Waters
- 5m Sacred Falls (NZ) x But Beautiful (IRE) (Pivotal (GB))
Tnr: M & K Murdoch Rdr: W B Kennedy 57
2
0.1
Pearl of Alsace
- 6m Tavistock (NZ) x Irion (NZ) (Danroad (AUS))
Tnr: S Ritchie & C Murray Rdr: J K Riddell 57
3
0.2
Mali Ston
- 7g El Roca (AUS) x Loviste (NZ) (Black Minnaloushe (USA))
Tnr: Darryn & Briar Weatherley Rdr: A Lawson-Carroll 59
4
0.4
Ladies Man
- 7g Zed (NZ) x Just Polite (AUS) (Dehere (USA))
Tnr: S A Sharrock Rdr: M Hashizume 59
5
2.7
Enright
- 7g Power (GB) x Katy O'beel (NZ) (Zabeel (NZ))
Tnr: R S Manning Rdr: N S Parmar 59
6
3.7
Val Di Zoldo
- 5m War Decree (USA) x Civetta (NZ) (Thorn Park (AUS))
Tnr: A W Pike Rdr: G Rooke 57
7
4.2
Sagunto
- 9g O'reilly (NZ) x Queen Sabeel (NZ) (Savabeel (AUS))
Tnr: Peter & Shaun Mckay Rdr: D J Danis 59
8
6.5
Gospodin
- 7g Proisir (AUS) x O'gosh (NZ) (O'reilly (NZ))
Tnr: J C Pender Rdr: D A Mansour 59
More Reading...
Better Than Ready’s Metalart Wins Group 3 W J Healy Stakes
Improving off a third in the Listed Lightning Handicap at Eagle Farm recently, 4yo Better Than Ready gelding Metalart stepped up to 1200m to record his first black type success, winning the Group 3 W J Healy Stakes.
$3million Won Through Inglis Xtra Bonus
A staggering $3m has now been won as part of the Inglis Xtra Bonus Series following today’s victory by the Cody Morgan-trained 3YO Considered at Dubbo.
Unbeaten So You Think 3YO WA's New Excitement Machine
One month to the day since he first set foot on a racecourse, So You Think’s three year old son  Opportunistic remains undefeated from three starts, is a dual stakes winner with earnings of $200,250 to his name, and is WA's new rising star of the turf.
Sires With Winners - Sunday June 29
Here is the full list of 53 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
How Much for a Snitzel Colt from Winx?
The record price for a yearling by the late champion sire Snitzel stands at $2.8million, but that benchmark looks set to be smashed at Inglis Easter next year.
Sires With Winners - Saturday June 28
Here is the full list of 109 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Aussie 2YO SW for Tivaci
New Zealand-bred colt Matahga stamped himself as an exciting spring three-year-old prospect with a hard-fought victory in the A$120,000 Listed David Peacock Oaklands Plate (1400m) at Morphettville on Saturday.
Big Pedigrees Don’t Always Spell Black Type
The breeding of thoroughbreds is a very inexact science which is why we saw siblings to a pair of Group I winners fighting out the finish of a very pedestrian 1100m maiden at Ballarat on Sunday.
Wootton Bassett Winning Whirl
It was a red letter day for Wootton Bassett (GB) at The Curragh overnight with a treble of winners highlighted by top class filly Whirl, who captured the Group I Pretty Polly Stakes (1m2f), a race won by the mighty Via Sistina in 2023.
Another Aussie SW Sourced from Aga Khan Studs
When Australian investors buy tried horses out of Europe from Aga Khan Studs they know they are getting quality, but the good ones don’t come cheap with Elamaz (IRE) sourced from their draft at the Arqana Arc Sale last year for €480,000.