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Photo: Sky Racing World TV
From the outpost, Bella Nipotina Surprisingly, he took the lead early, conceded it on the turn and then regained it late, winning by a narrow margin on Saturday Everesta six-eighths-of-a-mile sprint in Australia that, at $13.4 million, is the richest turf race in the world.
The 7-year-old mare, bred and co-owned by Michael Christian and trained by Ciaron Maher, broke out attentively under jockey Craig Williams. Despite being forced to drive wide, she had a narrow lead through the first quarter mile.
BELLA NIPOTINA is our 2024 #TABEverest Champion!
A year full of firsts in the $20 million sprint – the first mare, a first Everest for @cmaherracing and slot holder @tabcomauIt was the first victory and it came about courageously @CWilliamsJockey Drive. 2022 champion Giga Kick was third ahead of Growing Empire. pic.twitter.com/QsngURid3D
– Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) October 19, 2024
“She can’t run that well sometimes, but sometimes she can get a flyer,” Maher told Sky Racing World. “We decided that when we got a flyer, we would go.”
Bella Nipotina (5:1 in the US pool) was then overtaken on the inside by Storm Boy (10:1) and Growing Empire (5:1). Williams said he couldn’t afford to be afraid of losing the lead.
“I just had to trust her,” he said. “The plan was to trust her. The dream was to come through right at the start (go inside and take the lead).”
Bella Nipotina came out of the right-hander in third place and was accelerating when she was thrown well past the quarter-mile home straight in the drizzle at Sydney’s Royal Randwick. Giga Kick (14-1) split the horses to the inside and took the lead with one furlong to go. Bella Nipotina regained the lead in the final 120 yards and maintained the narrow lead to the finish line.
“All week there was a fear that she would be caught too far away and without cover, and she was,” Christian said. “And she was still good enough. I don’t know what to say. She’s just a freak.”
Giga Kick finished second, 1 1/4 lengths better than third-place Growing Empire. Lady Of Camelot (34-1) recovered but narrowly missed the board to take fourth place. US follow-up favorite Joliestar (5-2) took seventh place in a field of 11 horses ages 3 and up, including five males and six females.
The winning time was 1:08.76 without a run for the 1,200 meters, about eight yards shy of six furlongs. The first fractions were 23.87 and 46.09 seconds. The course was rated “Soft-5,” which means “yielding” in North America.
“She did on fixed routes what she used to do on routes, with give,” Maher said. “It surfaced today.”
In Win Place Show betting in the US, Bella Nipotina returned $13.70, $6.80 and $4.50; Giga Kick $10.40 and $8.80; and Growing Empire $5.60.
Bella Nipotina, a Pride Of Dubai pedigree out of the Star Witness mare Bella Orfana, added a $4.7 million first prize on Saturday, increasing her career earnings for Christian and his partners to $10.9 million US dollars. Her race record is 56:11-13-12.
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