Today’s racing at Te Rapa saw Pencarrow’s talented mare Our Ella Belle return to the winners circle after a good effort to win the Vero Insurance Rating 80 (1400m).

Trained by Steven Ramsay & Julia Ritchie, Our Ella Belle (Encosta de Lago x Kirin Belle) jumped well and sat one off the rail in the small field and, in the hands of James McDonald, took the lead at the 100 metre mark to win by an easy length.

Putting in a stellar performance in the New Zealand Bloodstock One Thousand Guineas at three, Our Ella Belle has had mixed fortunes so far this season. She had a brilliant fresh up win in Hawke’s Bay followed by an incident in the barrier at Te Rapa that saw her fail to compete. She followed up with a trial win but ran out of the placings in her last two starts.

Clearly a mare with ability and a good turn of foot, today’s race will bring a lot of confidence to the team as the daughter of Encosta de Lago heads to the Group 1 Thorndon Mile later this month.

Well bred, Our Ella Belle is from Pencarrow mare, Kirin Belle (McGinty), and is a half-sister to the Group 2 winner Winning Belle who was also raced by Pencarrow. Winning Belle is now the dam of the promising A$1.4 million Redoute’s Choice colt Light Brigade, who has won two of his four starts with two additional placings.