New Zealand horseman Nicholas Bishara will cross the Tasman this weekend to watch his filly Belle Detelle (Zed), a three-quarter sister to his ill-fated 11-time Group One Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed), contest the Gr.1 Queensland Derby (2400m).
The three-year-old Zed filly is out of a half-sister to the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) heroine, and while Bishara was unable to be trackside for that victory because of COVID-19 restrictions, he is intent on being at Eagle Farm in the flesh on Saturday.
“Missing the Melbourne Cup really cut to the core,” he said. “We have tried to make it this time around not to miss many races because they are once in a lifetime chances. You can’t say ‘I’ll go next year’ because there might not be a next year.”
Bishara initially trained Verry Elleegant in New Zealand before she was partially sold and continued to race in Australia, but he retained a share in the mare who would go on to become the darling of the Australian turf under the watchful eye of leading trainer Chris Waller.
Bishara continued to invest in the family, and bought her Towkay half-sister Black Lace, with Matt Duffie, and the pair would go on to breed Belle Detelle out of her.
Like Verry Elleegant, they entrusted Belle Detelle to the care of Waller, and she has gone from strength-to-strength, winning two and placing in three of her seven starts to date, including victory in the Gr.3 Adrian Knox Stakes (2000m) at Randwick last month.
She finished sixth in the Gr.3 Rough Habit Plate (2000m) at Doomben earlier this month, and while initially despondent at the result, Bishara said his worries were quelled by Waller and jockey James McDonald, who was aboard Verry Elleegant for much of her success.
“I was a little bit disappointed in the run, but James and Chris weren’t,” Bishara said. “James declared afterwards that she was his Derby ride, and he wouldn’t be swapping her for anything.
“She was victim of circumstance, she was back and in the worst of the ground by the last of the day.”
Bishara has received positive reports in the lead-up to the weekend and he is looking forward to partnering with McDonald once more, but is wary of their outside draw.
“The draw is a bit of a worry, but the best in the business is on her back,” Bishara said. “James is the best in the world, and he has got amazing hands.”