Prima Bella bound for stakes company

Six-year-old mare Prima Bella (NZ) (Per Incanto) continues to enjoy a strong campaign, relishing the fast tempo set by Beast Mode (Better Than Ready) to power over the top in the Ranvet Handicap (1000m) at Randwick on Saturday.

Trainer Matthew Smith will now thrust the daughter of Per Incanto into stakes company, with the much-improved mare having won three of her five starts this campaign.

“She’s airborne,” Smith said.

“When you get a mare in form, you have to keep them going. Look at Paul Cave’s mare The Mona Lisa, she keeps winning too.

“My mare has never been going better and I will have to look at a stakes race now because she is racing so well.”

Prima Bella, who got in well at the weights with 52.5kg after apprentice Mollie Fitzgerald’s 3kg claim, finished powerfully to win by just over a length from Amazing Eagle (Capitalist), with early leader Beast Mode holding on for third.

The truly run nature of the race, combined with an upgraded Good 4 surface, aided Prima Bella to clock a slick 56.57 seconds for the 1000m.

Smith said Prima Bella is likely to be back at Randwick in two weeks’ time for a race such as the Gr.3 Toy Show Quality (1100m).

“I’ve got Idle Flyer (Dundeel) resuming that day, but I might split the mares up and run her in the Show County (Gr.3, 1200m),” Smith said.

“Prima Bella deserves her chance in a better class of race as she is in such good form and she handles wet or dry tracks.”

Prima Bella is by outstanding Little Avondale Stud stallion Per Incanto out of the seven-time winner Darci Brahma mare Brah Spring (NZ).

Bred by Little Avondale, she is also from the family of Australian Group One performers by Per Incanto – Evaporate (NZ) (Per Incanto) and Belluci Babe (NZ) (Belluci Babe).

Sporting the colours of a syndicate headed by Francis and Christine Cook, Prima Bella was purchased at the Sydney Classic Yearling Sale for A$320,000, and after seven wins the well-related mare has surpassed her purchase price in prizemoney.