On Track - Spring 2020 Edition

33 With no pushing and no pulling, Bella Vella clocked a series leading time of 55.10 in the heat in front of a packed house heaving at the cauldron that is night racing at The Valley. A new holy trinity was born – Bella Vella, Jamie Kah and The Valley. It just worked. “She just pings the barriers and puts herself on speed, nice and positive with her head to the ground, that’s why I think she takes to The Valley,” Kah says. When asked to explain her own bond with Bella Vella. “We’re just both two crazy fillies,” Kah laughs. Those two crazy fillies have since conquered all before them and now boast a hat-trick of wins when it comes to teaming up at The Valley. That time of 55.10 would eventually be beaten in March by Bella Vella herself in the final heat, leaving Clarken $55,000 better off thanks to Ladbrokes’ winning prize. The cheque was handed over to Kah in Clarken’s absence, where Kah recalls she ‘tried to run off with it’ before finding its way to the rightful owner. In a blow for Kah, Bella Vella claimed her biggest scalp to date by the winning the Group 1 Sangster at Morphettville. Sadly, due to COVID-19 restrictions, Kah watched the race on a television screen from Caulfield as Todd Pannell held on for victory. “I was so happy for not only the horse, but also Todd Pannell who rode her, and my friend Ruby rides her trackwork, and obviously Will who has done such a great job with her” “I’m very happy she’s in Melbourne and nobody can kick me off her now though” That’s because Bella Vella now has the Melbourne Spring Carnival in her sights and it’s off to the perfect start with the six-year-old mare taking out the Group 2 Mittys McEwen Stakes first-up at The Valley on September 5 over 1000 metres. She followed that up with a brilliant third in the Group 1 Charter Keck Cramer Moir Stakes. “She was just so tough… she was always going to win in my mind”, Kah said post the McEwen Stakes. “She is getting better every time I get on her,” Kah said in an ominous warning for her rivals. Clarken too has a real soft spot for his stable star who just gives her all every time she races. “I’m a bit emotional after that, she’s a horse to fall in love with,” said Clarken post-race after the win. “She has heaps of ability, but I just admire how tough she is and how hard she tries” “She delivers ten-fold.” Each time Bella Vella and Kah have returned to The Valley they have reached new heights and that bodes well for her upcoming campaign where she will target the Group 1 Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes at the track. Kah has ridden three Group 1 wins of her own, both coming at Flemington, but she is hoping the bright lights of The Valley’s night racing season can deliver her a fourth as Bella Vella tackles the $1 million Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes on October 23. “I’m hoping Bella Vella can deliver me a Group 1 at The Valley where I’ve enjoyed some luck” “She isn’t just a 955 metre horse and I think the 1200 metres of a Manikato Stakes won’t be a worry, with less challenges up on the speed” “If I got a Group 1 for Will it would be one hell of a party,” Kah professed. One thing you can count on this spring is that these ‘two crazy fillies’ are every chance to conquer the Group 1 mountain at The Valley and celebrate in style. “Two crazy fillies” - Jamie Kah and Bella Vella have taken The Valley by storm