Promising mare Bella Waters indicated she is on the right path to success in some of the upcoming major summer feature events when she came from last to secure victory in the Gr.2 Gartshore Tauranga Stakes (1600m) at Tauranga.
Carrying the colours of Cambridge Stud principals Brendan and Jo Lindsay, who bred and race her, the Moira and Kieran Murdoch-prepared five-year-old was having just her second start in a new campaign after signing off her four-year-old season with success in the Listed Rotorua Cup (2200m) back in May.
A decent winter spell resulted in her furnishing further and following a runner-up finish in a 1000m trial at Avondale she kicked off with a handy effort when finishing midfield over 1200m at Tauranga earlier in the month.
On this occasion regular pilot Warren Kennedy was happy to settle the daughter of Sacred Falls beside the well backed Ladies Man ($3.40) at the rear of the eight-horse field and was still in last position with just 500m to run.
Kennedy tracked wide in the home straight and found plenty of space as Ladies Man battled to clear traffic when seeking an inside run, with Bella Waters driving home to nail favourite Pearl of Alsace ($2.90) on the line, winning by a nose with a further neck back to Mali Ston and Ladies Man in a blanket finish.
Moira Murdoch admitted she had some concerns when faced with a Heavy9 track in the morning (subsequently improved to a Soft6) and how relaxed the mare appeared when it was time to get serious in the home straight.
“She has really come of age and is relaxed, maybe too relaxed coming around the corner and has turned into a real racehorse,” Murdoch said.
“I thought she was a little unlucky first-up and we were a little worried about the track, but is has turned out really good as she is untried on the heavy.”
Murdoch is looking ahead to some lofty goals with the mare who she believes is a potential Group One performer.
“I think she is probably at that level (Group One) and she earned that today,” she said.
“It would be nice to think she could get to those big races that are coming up.”
Out of the Pivotal mare But Beautiful, who won three races in a limited career, Bella Waters is a half-sister to the Gr.2 Autumn Stakes (1800m) winner Immediacy and has now won four of her 11 starts and more than $176,000 in prizemoney.