Melody Belle Half Brother Heading to VRC Derby

Current New Zealand Broodmare of the Year, MELEKA BELLE (NZ) (Iffraaj) received a few extra pats on the Saturday afternoon feed round at Haunui Farm after the efforts her current 2YO, TUTUKAKA (NZ) (Tavistock) in Queensland on Saturday.

Lining up at just his fourth start, TUTUKAKA made light work of his opposition in the Listed QLD Tatt’s RC Life Members Stakes over 1830m, with trainer Tony Pike now targeting the VRC Derby with the half-brother to MELODY BELLE (NZ) (Commands).

Bred by Marie Leicester and, a graduate of Haunui Farm’s 2020 Yearling Draft, TUTUKAKA was a $250,000 purchase by Tony Pike for his very successful colt syndicate and as with the year before, Haunui Farm have taken a share.

Haunui Farm’s Managing Director, Mark Chitty says, “I was so happy for Marie to have bred another stakes winner out of MELEKA BELLE. MELODY BELLE has been a pretty hard act to follow but MELEKA BELLE is three from four to the races so far with a Champion and, a stakes winner and true G1 prospect so. it puts her in esteemed company that’s for sure.”

MELEKA BELLE has a NOT A SINGLE DOUBT yearling filly currently in breaking-in, a SNITZEL weanling filly on the ground and is in foal to PIERRO.