Bella Nipotina will be offered for sale at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale at Riverside on the evening of May 8.
Record-breaking Bella Nipotina is a once-in-lifetime horse.
A winner of 11 races – four at G1 level including The Everest – she was this week retired with prizemoney earnings of $22,757,625, second behind only the champion Winx.
Trained for the bulk of her career by Ciaron Maher having started with David Hayes and Tom Dabernig, Bella Nipotina was an exceptional race mare, earning a Timeform rating of 123 and running to a peak of 104.7 WFA Performance Rating for The Rating Bureau.
She is the first and only female to win The Everest, jumping from barrier 12 to defeat the likes of Giga Kick, Lady Of Camelot, Sunshine In Paris, Private Eye, Joliestar, Stefi Magnetica, I Wish I Win etc in the world’s richest race on turf.
She was a remarkably consistent race filly and mare – Bella Nipotina won or placed in 13 G1 races and regularly overcame ill fortune having drawn barrier 10 or wider in 10 of her G1 starts.
She is a winner of the $3m Winners Stakes over 1300m at Rosehill in consecutive seasons defeating the likes of Think About It, Private Eye, Sunshine In Paris, Lady Of Laguna, Mazu etc.
Bella Nipotina will be offered at the Chairman’s Sale as a breeding prospect.
Bella Nipotina is bred by Longwood Thoroughbred Farm’s Michael Christian, who raced the mare with his wife Siobhan Miller and his brother Brad, Tim and Bronny Porter, Wayne and Vicki Pelchen, Mick and Alise Johnston and Andy Ingersole.
Bred and raised at Longwood, Bella Nipotina was an $80,000 purchase out of the Rosemont Stud draft at the Premier Yearling Sale at Oaklands for Lindsay Park, Andrew Williams and Mt Hallowell Stud.
Christian described the Bella Nipotina journey as “a dream come true’’.
“You embark on racing horses and then breeding horses, which we’ve done for a long time now and you don’t ever think you’ll breed and raise and race one that will achieve what she’s achieved,’’ Christian said.
“It’s all a bit surreal to be honest. It’s been incredible and it’s always been all about her, her toughness, her bravery, her durability, her courage, to be able to keep racing like she did for five seasons and then win an Everest as a 7YO, it’s remarkable.
“Her Everest win was mind blowing, really. She drew the outside gate, she sat three wide with no cover and still won. It’s just been an incredible ride and it’s definitely mixed emotions that it’s all coming to an end.’’
Christian conceded the Chairman’s Sale would be an emotional one for he and all of Bella Nipotina’s connections.
“The night is going to be a real celebration of her achievements and it’s going to be all about her and recognising what she’s achieved, it’s going to be a special night for sure, a memorable night,’’ Christian said.
“I just feel so humbled and proud that she earned a reputation of being so tough and uncompromising. That’s what I’m most proud of, that she was never beaten far when she was beaten and that earned her enormous respect from the racing fraternity and we will celebrate all that is Bella Nipotina at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale in May.’’
Inglis Bloodstock CEO Sebastian Hutch said the enormity of the opportunity breeders now had to purchase a mare like Bella Nipotina could not be underestimated.
“She is one of the most accomplished racehorses in Australian racing history, so it’s a real honour for Inglis to have the opportunity to bring her to market at the Chairman’s Sale,’’ Hutch said.
“Bella Nipotina is the quintessential Australian racehorse, a high-class 2YO who thrived in competition, progressing to become a world-class, uncompromising sprinter with an insatiable will to win.
“On a very practical level, she possesses a series of attributes that would be desirable in any quality racehorse and for that reason alone it is exciting to think what she might be capable of achieving as a broodmare.
“We are incredibly grateful to the ownership group for their support of Inglis and are excited to share with them what is going to be a special night at Riverside on May 8.’’
Bella Nipotina will be joined by the likes of record-breaking mare I Am Me, Estriella, G1 winner Royal Merchant, G1 placed Semana, G3 winner Honey Girl, Sausedge (the dam of this season’s dual G2 placed 2YO Wiltshire Square, in foal to sire-of-the-moment Wootton Bassett), talented performers Mumbai Muse, Dancing Alone, Enbihaar (dam of top-class filly Too Darn Lizzie), Grinzinger Belle, Sirileo Miss, She Dances, Eagle Nest, Lekvarte, Stakes-winning 2YO Castanya and the dam of this season’s high-class 2YO Field Of Play, amongst many others etc as confirmed entries into the Chairman’s Sale.
The Chairman’s Sale will be held at Riverside on the evening of Thursday May 8.
