Plucky Belle Knifes Through in Coolmore Classic

First Seal (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus} was sent off the prohibitive odds-on favorite in Saturday’s G1 Coolmore Classic, but an awkward draw in gate 11 proved her undoing, as Plucky Belle (Aus) (Mossman {Aus}) was able to save some ground and knifed through late to take it in a blanket finish. 

Upset winner of the G3 Lavazza Short Black S. at Flemington in November 2013, Plucky Belle proceeded to drop her next eight tries and resumed from an eight-month spell to finish sixth, but beaten just over four lengths, behind the classy Catkins (Aus) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the six-furlong G2 NSW Thorougbred Breeders’ Classic S. Feb. 7 at this venue. With Linda Meech taking over at the controls last time, the 6-year-old ran a cracking race in the G2 Millie Fox S. over 1300 meters of this track and was just nabbed late by Catkins, who would go on to run second in the G1 Canterbury S. last weekend. 

Conservatively handled by Meech while three or four runners from the back of the pack, Plucky Belle raced in and amongst horses nearing the final 400 meters, in need of somewhere to go. First Seal, wide and with cover in the run, was flushed out sooner than Blake Shinn wanted, but nevertheless let down nicely and was in front with 150 meters to the wire. She plugged on gamely, but Plucky Belle finally got the gap she was looking for and was able to get her head down on the wire first. 

Meech, for years the first choice for trainer Peter Moody at the country tracks, was celebrating her first Group 1 success. 
“It’s a bit surreal actually. I thought I got beaten and one of the boys told me I’d won and I was like ‘Really’?” she told racing.com. “I knew she’d run a gallant race, she went everywhere I wanted to go and took every gap and when I really asked her to kick in, she pinned her little ears back.” 

Plucky Belle gave Moody his first Group 1 winner in Sydney since Dissident (Aus) (Sebring {Aus}) landed last year’s G1 Randwick Guineas.

Saturday, Rosehill, Australia
COOLMORE CLASSIC-G1, A$600,000, ROS, 3-14, 3yo/up, f/m, 7 1/2fT, 1:29.38, gd. 
1–PLUCKY BELLE (AUS), 117, m, 6, by Mossman (Aus) 
     1st Dam: Winning Belle (NZ) (MGSW & MG1SP-Aus), by Zabeel (NZ) 
     2nd Dam: Kirin Belle (NZ), by McGinty (NZ) 
     3rd Dam: Heidi Belle (NZ), by Copenhagen II (GB) 
O-D & M Esplin Pty Ltd (Mgr: Mrs M E Esplin) & Est D P R Esplin; B-D P R Esplin (Aus); T-Peter Moody; J-Linda Meech. A$360,000. Lifetime Record: 25-5-5-2, A$738,983. *1/2 to Light Brigade (Aus) (Redoute’s Choice {Aus}), G1SP-Aus; and Rawnaq (Aus) (Redoute’s Choice {Aus}), G1SP-Aus. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–First Seal (Aus), 122, f, 3, Fastnet Rock (Aus)–Episode (Aus), by Scenic (Ire). (NZ$700,000 yrl ‘13 NZBPRE). O-China Horse Club (Mgr: Teo Ah Khing), Raffles Thoroughbred Racing (Mgr: K T Yap), Think Big Stud (Mgrs: D Ramage & Dato Tan Chin Nam), J S C Chua & Westcode Pty Ltd (Mgr: Tunku Ahmad Yahaya); B-Raffles Dancers (NZ) Pty Ltd (Aus); T-John Thompson. A$120,000. 
3–Diamond Drille (Aus), 123, m, 5, Al Maher (Aus)–Damzelle Pedrille (Aus), by Zoffany. (A$200,000 yrl ‘11 INGEAS). O-G G & Mrs D Kolivos; B-R J Gall (Aus); T-Gai Waterhouse. A$60,000. 
Margins: SHD, SHD, SHD. Odds: 15.00, 0.57, 25.00. 
Also Ran: Amicus (Aus), Hera (NZ), Arabian Gold (Aus), Tinto (Aus), Abduction (Aus), Adrift (NZ), Tarloshan (NZ), Mahara (Aus), Dear Demi (Aus), Thump (Aus). 
Click for the Racing Post result or the free brisnet.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.