Bellatrix Star’s racing career looked like it was over at the start of the year when she fractured her neck, but the Mark Walker-trained mare has made a miraculous recovery and will make her return to the track at Caulfield this weekend.
One of the standout fillies in Victoria last spring, the daughter of Star Witness won the Listed Cap D’Antibes Stakes (1100m), Gr.3 Scarborough Stakes (1200m) and Gr.2 Schillaci Stakes (1100m) before finishing runner-up behind Switzerland in the Gr.1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on Derby Day.
She was riding the crest of the wave, but it all came crashing down in January when she was preparing for a tilt at the Gr.1 Lightning Stakes (1000m). She reared when being led back to the stables from the pool and fractured vertebrae in her neck.
It was feared that her racing career was over, however, subsequent x-rays revealed her injury had healed and a plan was hatched to see if they could get the Fortuna Syndicate-raced filly back to the track.
"We were going to retire her when she was out cantering in the paddock and we just thought we'd take a precautionary x-ray and it basically showed it had all healed, much to our surprise,” Te Akau Racing assistant trainer Ben Gleeson told Racing.com.
"We've been pretty level-headed the whole way through about where we are going to get to so, provided she has a smooth week at home, this weekend is exciting, although we're just trying to keep a lid on it at the moment.
"We've still got no idea whether she is going to come back the same horse, but she ran through the line last Thursday in her trial and that gave us enough inclination that she's got plenty of zest for racing.”
Fortuna principal John Galvin is looking forward to being trackside to watch Bellatrix Star resume in the Listed Doveton Stakes (1100m), where she will have to lumber 60kg.
“She’s got to carry 60kg in a handicap, and many are on the minimum (54kg), but she went to Caulfield for a trial last week, where she missed the start, went keenly, but showed a great turn of foot over the last 300m and it would have cleaned her up a bit,” Galvin said.
“We’ll have to wait and see what we get, but she’s fit and talented, and it’s a dream come true to see her return to racing.
“A lot of credit has to go to Mark (Walker). He insisted that she stay in her box after the accident, rather than go to the paddock, and he has overseen her return to training with skill and aplomb.”