We won’t see Bella Nipotina race again until the winter

Bella Nipotina is a mare that the horse racing bookmakers are always a little wary of. She might not have the strike rate of some of her talented peers but there are few racers who have the guts and courage she does.

After 57 career races, including 14 in 2024 alone, it is not such a surprise that connections have decided to give Bella Nipotina a break. In 37 of those, she has finished in the first three, saluting in four Group One races.

No autumn prep for Bella Nipotina

The first emotion was naturally disappointment when the news broke on Tuesday. Bella Nipotina is an easy mare to enjoy. Her natural talent as well as her grit and desire to win make her one of the top performers in the country.

She ran five times in the autumn of 2024, starting off in the Lightning at Flemington. The William Reid, T J Smith and Quokka followed without her getting her head in front in any of them.

So far in her career in the months of January, February, March and April, Bella Nipotina is a combined 1/21! That suggests that this is a perfect time of year for Maher to give her some extra time to get over her racing from 2024.

Bella Nipotina to stay at Maher’s Bing Bong Farm

Those who have not seen Bing Bong Farm in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales are missing out! The farm is a spectacular setting for equine relaxation with room for about 80 horses.

Set in 100 hectares, it is no surprise that Bella Nipotina took her form to a whole new level last season. The palatial surroundings that Maher purchased off Waratah Thoroughbreds in May 2023 are one of the finest stables out there.

The mental side of the equine athletes is just as important as the physical and it looks like an easy place to keep a horse at their mental peak.

The Brisbane Winter Carnival is her next aim

It was an excellent Winter Carnival in 2024 for Bella Nipotina who produced four huge runs when she was sent to Brisbane. She saluted in the Doomben 10,000 and the Tattersall’s Tiara. She also finished second in both the Stradbroke Handicap and the Kingsford Smith Cup.

The plan that Ciaron Maher has in mind for her in 2025 is to give her enough time to head back to Brisbane fresh and ready to hit the same heights again. It is easy to think that Maher will have her spot on.

One of the most remarkable things about Bella Nipotina is her adaptiveness. Not only is she capable of taking on the all-out speedballs over 1200m and beating them in the Everest but she can also stretch out to 1400m comfortably to beat horses who are specialists at the trip. More so that she can do it on good, soft or heavy ground!

It is quite something that only Winx has ever won more prize money than her in Australia. A successful Winter Carnival could see her narrow the gap. Perhaps next season she can even take her place as the mare at the top of the money mountain.

She has a gap of a touch under $4.5 million to go, winning two million at the Winter Carnival in 2024. A similar effort would give her every chance of reaching the top by the time the year is out.

For fans of horse racing, it is going to be a shame that we will not see Bella Nipotina at all in the autumn. She is set to make her return in the winter with another tilt at the Brisbane Winter Carnival.