The phenomenal Cheveley Stud mare Mystic Spring will be odds-on to at last to be named Equus Champion Broodmare after her daughter Bela-Bela clinched the second Gr 1 of her career on Saturday by winning the Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes over 1800m at Kenilworth.

Trainer Justin Snaith had five winners at last year’s L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate meeting, but lamented his lack of a Gr 1 winner, and this year it was the opposite as his big string yielded only a single victory, but undoubtedly the one he most wanted.

The brilliant grey by Dynasty provided a second Gr 1 win on the day for Anton Marcus, who rode four winners in all.

Bela-Bela (Liesl King)

Marcus’s flying, come-from-behind victory in the ninth race on Supercilious was described afterwards by trainer Joey Ramsden as the best ride he had ever produced on one of his charges.

Bela-Bela was also given a faultless ride by Marcus. From a good draw of six he soon had her one wide of the rail with cover. From there she was always going to be getting a run in the straight, which was not a given for rails-hugging horses as the false rail on the day was very narrow.

Marcus was not concerned about Bela-Bela being shuffled back in the running as he was sitting behind Silver Mountain, whom he knew would be going forward for most of the straight at least. In the stiff headwind he was patient for a while in the straight behind Silver Mountain. There can be little coincidence that he spun her out for her run just before a gap opened for the crack three-year-old Safe Harbour towards the inside. This gave Bela-Bela almost 400m to first build up into her powerful stride and then wear the others down with her resolute finish.

Marcus had timed it to perfection as she was certainly not flying at the line, but her resolve enabled her to get up in the last couple of strides to win by 0,4 lengths from Safe Harbour, with Silver Mountain a length further back.

The hard fought victory, which saw 3,85 lengths covering the first eight past the post, will have critics questioning where Bela-Bela stands in history. She certainly has something still to do to be considered as good as the last two winners of the race, Beach Beauty and Smart Call.

However, her dam Mystic Spring has nothing left to do to prove herself a great broodmare.

Bela-Bela was the Equus champion three-year-old filly last season, while Mystic Spring’s ill-fated son Rabiya, a twice Gr 1 winner, was the Equus champion three-year-old male in 2005. Mystic Spring has also produced Gr 2 winner Secret Of Victoria, who has produced two Gr 1-winning fillies, one of them a champion. On top of that Mystic Spring has produced three other stakes winners, Spring Lilac, Rafiya and Touch The Sky. Spring Lilac has already produced a stakes winner.

Bela-Bela was bred by Cheveley Stud and owners Varsfontein Stud have a valuable asset in their hands.

By David Thiselton