Under The Radar: Kinsella eyes more glory with Bellaphina

Bellaphina kicked a gate at home shortly after her seasonal return at Gowran Park in April.  She was fine, but she needed time off and she needed treatment.  Ten days in Lissadell Equine Hospital, and John Kinsella’s mare was ready to go again, but that’s why we didn’t see her between Gowran in April and Limerick in June.

She had no luck at Limerick.  They went very slowly early on and then they quickened.  Bellaphina was at the back of the field and along the inside when they did, she had to extricate herself from a pocket and she had to try to make ground into a quickening pace, while all the while endeavouring to manufacture some racing room for herself.  She was only really getting going when the winning post flashed past.  In the end, she did well to finish fourth, just a length and a half behind the winner Facethepuckout.

After that, the fillies’ premier handicap at The Curragh on Irish Derby weekend came into focus.  Actually, the fillies’ premier handicap at The Curragh on Irish Derby weekend was in focus for a fair while before that.

“We had the race in mind for her for a little while all right,” says Kinsella now.  “Since Gowran.  Before Gowran.  We went to Ascot with her last year for the Sandringham Handicap, but it didn’t really work out, so we said that we would go back to The Curragh with her this year.”

They went to The Curragh with Bellaphina last year too, for the fillies’ premier handicap on Irish Guineas weekend, and she won it.  That was massive.  For a small yard in Rathdrum in County Wicklow, a county that is home to fewer racehorse trainers than you have fingers on your right hand.  To win a premier handicap on one of the flagship meetings of Irish flat racing.  Then to go back and try to do it again this year with the same filly on another one of Irish flat racing’s flagship meetings.

And they did.  Bellaphina won the premier fillies’ handicap at The Curragh last weekend, the final race on the final day of the Irish Derby meeting.  She was impressive in winning it too.  Just worse than mid-division early on, she made her ground easily and she meandered her way up towards the front rank with a quarter of a mile to run.  James Ryan asked her to pick up on the run to the furlong marker, and she did.  She put daylight between herself and her rivals, and she had enough in hand to see off the late challenge of Dance Night Andday.

“We were obviously delighted with her on Sunday,” says Kinsella.  “Really happy.  It’s brilliant when you make a plan from a fair way out and it all works out like that.  She needs a good gallop and she got that, and James gave her a super ride.  I was delighted for her owners too.”

Bellaphina is owned in partnership by Agricola Ficomontanino and Leaf Stud, whose relationship with Kinsella goes way back.  It was Liam Kavanagh of Leaf Stud who phoned Kinsella back in 2020 and asked him if he would train an Elzaam filly for him.  That filly was Limiti Di Greccio, whom Kinsella trained to finish second in a good maiden at Leopardstown before she was sold to Martin Schwartz and trained by Paddy Twomey to win two of her next three races, including the Listed Staffordstown Stud Stakes at The Curragh.

“She was a lovely filly,” says Kinsella, “and it was great that she was able to go on to win a listed race for Paddy Twomey and for her new owner.  After we sold her, we were able to do a few things to the place here, a few improvements, put in a swimming pool, a few other things.  We’re all the time looking to improve our facilities here.”

He was always interested in horses.  There were always horses and ponies around the farm at home in Rathdrum, and young John got the opportunity to go into Aidan O’Brien’s when he was 14, before he joined Denis Murphy.  He rode a few point-to-point winners for Denis Murphy, before he started to train a few himself.

“We had a filly who won a point-to-point,” he says.  “So we sold her, and that allowed us to put in a gallop here.”

He started off with National Hunt horses.  He won two handicap chases at Kilbeggan in the summer of 2021 with Definite Soldier, and but he pivoted to the flat quite seamlessly.

“I remember going to one of the store sales with Denis Murphy,” he says thoughtfully.  “I tried to buy four or five horses, but I couldn't get near any of them.  I just find that you can get value more easily on the flat.”

He hasn’t been doing badly on the flat either.  He recorded his first flat win when he sent Bellaphina to Limerick in April 2023 and she won her maiden, and he recorded his second when she went to The Curragh the following month and won that premier handicap on Irish Guineas weekend. 

And this year, in May, he sent Moltophino, Bellaphina’s half-brother, to The Curragh on Irish Guineas weekend, and the son of Profitable won another premier handicap, the Habitat Handicap.  He was impressive in winning, he came home three lengths clear of Sunday’s Rockingham Handicap winner Keke.

“We were delighted with Moltophino on the day,” says his trainer.  “He won well.  And he ran well at Cork last time, he just didn’t stay seven furlongs.  He’s in great form though.  He could go for the Scurry now.”

Bellaphina was raised by 7lb by the handicapper for Sunday’s win, which takes her up to a mark of 91.  She still has the potential to be better than a 91-rated horse, and it may be that she will step up into Group company now, for the Group Three Brownstown Stakes on Thursday at Leopardstown.

“It’s very important I think that she races against fillies,” says John.  “She can boss fillies.  And, while she stays a mile, seven furlongs is probably ideal for her.  The Brownstown is a race that could suit her.”

That’s the race that has come into focus now.