On paper it looked a high class field of two year-old fillies and the first four home all look to be well above average.
First starter Bella Rosa was prominent all the way up the straight and scored a narrow win over Lankan Star (Nicconi) with the favourite and last start stakes-winner Champagne Boom (Spirit of Boom) a fast closing third in front of Sunlight's heavily backed full sister Sisstar.
"She's a real little professional. She jumped well and knuckled down well to
the line," said winning rider Mark Zahra.Bella Rosa was a $575,000 Magic Millions purchase from the Segenhoe Stud draft for Ciaron Maher Bloodstock and runs for stable clients including Halo Racing Services with Segenhoe Stud also retaining a share.
Maher has had luck previously purchasing from Segenhoe having bought dual Group I winning colt Merchant Navy from their draft.
"She looks a cheap horse now," Maher quipped.
"They do a great job up at Segenhoe with Kevin Maloney and Peter O'Brien, they just keep churning out the good horses."
Bella Rosa is the second juvenile stakes-winner this season for Maher and Eustace, who won the Group III ATC Breeders Plate in Sydney last month with Not a Single Doubt colt Dubious.
Bred by Segenhoe Stud, Bella Rosa is the third winner from Swiss Rose, a stakes-winning half-sister by Thorn Park to Group II winner Prom Queen from the family of Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner Catnipped.
Swiss Rose has a yearling colt by Medaglia D'Oro (USA) and has foaled this spring producing a filly by the same sire.
Bella Rosa is the 85th stakes-winner for Arrowfield Stud's champion sire Snitzel.
