Prima Bella flies to first-up success

New Zealand-bred mare Prima Bella (NZ) (Per Incanto) made a stylish return at Randwick on Saturday with a victory in her first raceday appearance for almost nine months.

The A$160,000 Uphire Handicap (1000m) was the Per Incanto five-year-old’s first start since September 3, and she had built up her fitness with two trials including a third placing over 1050m at Randwick on May 4.

With two wins and a placing from her three previous starts on heavy tracks, Prima Bella was expected to be better suited than most to the deteriorating Randwick ground on Saturday, and she jumped as a $6.50 third favourite.

Ridden by Ashley Morgan, Prima Bella broke well from gate five and pushed forward to take the lead within the first 100m of the race.

Prima Bella found herself under siege in the straight, challenged firstly by Against The Law (Lean Mean Machine) and then by a strong-finishing Amazing Eagle (Capitalist). On both occasions she looked likely to be swallowed up, but on both occasions she found a bit more.

Amazing Eagle thrust his head in front with 100m to run, but Prima Bella lifted again and clawed her way back in front to score a narrow win.

“She loves it wet,” trainer Matthew Smith said. “I’ve been happy with her, the last trial was excellent and her work has been good.”

From a promising 10-start career, Prima Bella has now won five times and placed on a further two occasions. She has earned A$192,275.

Prima Bella is one of 50 winners from only 89 runners in a landmark Australian season for Little Avondale Stud stallion Per Incanto, whose A$16 million in total progeny earnings on that side of the Tasman put him in a career-best sixth place on the Australian sires’ premiership.

Little Avondale are the breeders of Prima Bella, who is out of the seven-race winner Brah Spring (NZ). That daughter of Darci Brahma is a three-quarter-sister to Listed winner Sir Lovesalot (NZ) (Darci Brahma) and half-sister to Listed winner Pure Incanto (NZ) (Per Incanto). Further down the pedigree page, the family also features a couple of Australian Group One performers by Per Incanto – Evaporate (NZ) and Belluci Babe (NZ).

Prima Bella was offered by Sledmere Stud during the 2022 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, where Matthew Smith Racing bought her for A$320,000.