Bella Verona wins Inglis Bracelet
Castelvecchio's daughter Bella Verona returns victorious to Fleminton's famous mounting yard after winning the $350,000 Inglis Bracelet on Oaks Day. (PHOTO: Bronwen Healy)
Memo to self: must buy an Arrowfield Inglis Classic filly by Castelvecchio to win the $350,000 Inglis Bracelet on Oaks Day at Flemington!
Verona Rose, a $40,000 buy for Gary Portelli, won the race last year and has since added the Guy Walter S. G2, five Group placings and more than $1 million to her record.
Bella Verona landed this year’s edition with a decisive, 2.25 length victory that indicates she, too, is capable of progressing to Group success.
Bella Verona zooms past the fav to take out the Inglis Bracelet! 💨 @mattlaurierace @pattymoloney @FlemingtonVRC @inglis_sales https://t.co/utJ4zrvqUl
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) November 5, 2026
Trainer Matt Laurie, who secured her for $90,000 from Arrowfield’s 2024 Inglis Classic consignment, explained both the decision to apply blinkers and the reason Bella Verona began racing only as an Autumn 3YO.
“Getting to this race, fourth up, we applied the blinkers today and she really sharpened up nicely. I loved her effort late, she really dug in so we’re really happy.
“She’s had a hard run. We really liked this horse early days then she suffered a bout of colic, had to go and have surgery, came back in the second half of her 3YO year and she’s been able to kick on and get going. She’s got black type written all over her.”
Like Saturday’s Group 3 winner Roaring Sun, Bella Verona was bred by Arrowfield with Kevin & Vikki Payne, and is the first runner out of Simply Wonderful, a daughter of Snitzel and 4-time Group 1 winner Shez Sinsational. She has a 2YO colt by Dundeel, a yearling colt by Hitotsu and is in foal to Dundeel.
Snitzel is also the damsire of Red Roses S. G3 winner Lady Catalina, Redoute’s Choice is damsire of dominant VRC Oaks G1 winner Proxima Dea and the Chester Manifold S. LR winner Harry’s Yacht is out of a mare by Beneteau.
Bella Verona’s victory comes ahead of a big Saturday for Castelvecchio, represented at Rosehill by Modella in the $500,000 Hot Danish S. G2, Verona Rose in the $2 million Five Diamonds G3 & Act Up in the $1 million Golden Gift LR, and at Flemington by Aeliana in the $3 million Champions S. G1 at Flemington.
