Plans are already in place to give the well-performed filly Bella Gioia an opportunity to further her record offshore.
The Swiss Ace filly hasn’t raced since she finished runner-up in the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas at Riccarton in the spring, after which she had to undergo surgery to remove bone chips from a fetlock.
“All going well, the plan is to run her first-up in the Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes and if she performs well she’ll go to Brisbane.
“There’s only one plane going over, and that’s in early May, so we want to make sure she’s back to her best.”A half-sister to the stakes performers Niki Piki Milo and The Dom, Bella Gioia has won twice from six appearances up to a mile.
“There’s nothing definite locked in, but there are plenty of options for her in Queensland,” Ritchie said.“We will be keeping her to 1400 and 1600 metre races without over-taxing her, we want to see her racing in the spring as well.
“She’s Group One placed here behind the good filly La Diosa in the Guineas and it would be great to get some black type in Australia as well.”
