Prominent owner/breeder Bob Peters said he was planning for
a future broodmare when he put the Marooned mare Mississippi Belle to the
veteran stallion Canny Lad back in 2007 but that broodmare prospect gave Peters
the thrill of a lifetime in Saturday's $1 million Group 1 Carlton
Draught-Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot.
Given a peach of a ride by William Pike, Elite Belle burst
between runners to defeat another local Balmont Girl (Balmont) and the Chris
Waller-trained Moriarty (IRE) (Clodovil).
Pike said the 6yo mare rarely gives the impression of
traveling smoothly in the run.
"She doesn't travel. She does it from off the bit and
you have got to rely on her and trust her that she's got it," Pike said.
"She catches you a little bit unawares but when she
lets down, it's electric."
Trainer Grant Williams had given up on the mare getting a
run after being hopelessly blocked away in a packing field.
"I'd started to watch (stablemate) Respondent, I
thought we had too many horses to get through.
"In the corner of my eye, I saw a horse coming through.
I thought, it couldn't be Willie could it? and sure enough, it was".
A homebred for Bob Peters, Elite Belle takes her overall
record to 9 wins, 5 seconds and 3 three thirds from 23 starts for earnings of $1,212,300.
A half-sister to dual Listed stakes-winner Battle Emblem
(Second Empire), Elite Belle is the fifth foal of the Marooned (GB) mare
Mississippi Belle a half-sister to Group III winner Mogul (Serheed).
Elite Belle becomes the 11th Group 1 winner for Canny Lad (Bletchingly) who died in June. The Golden slipper winner was pensioned after completing his 21st book of mares in 2011.
