Ollivici adds to Belle Galleon’s blossoming record

By Peter Wharton

The four-race winning streak of four-year-old trotter Ollivici in Victoria this year has added further lustre to the record of celebrated matron Belle Galleon.

The gelding was bred by well known Amberley horseman Kevin Chapman and was sold for $51,000 at the National Yearling Sale at Christchurch in 2021 to Victorian maestro Chris Lang. He has now won eight of his 15 starts and $68,170 and promises to be a force in the major trotting races later in the year.

Chapman was gifted a share in Belle Galleon after one of her owners Michael Bowden died from cancer in 2016.

Ollivici wins a heat of the Tornado Valley at Melton last Saturday – Stuart McCormick photo

“I was training horses for Trevor Casey and Michael at the time. I went a year about breeding from the mare with Trevor,” Chapman said.

Chapman has bred three foals from Belle Galleon in Izmok (by Muscles Yankee), Daisy Hill (by Muscle Hill) and Ollivici (by Orlando Vici).

Izmok, a $90,000 yearling, won six races including the SA Trotters Cup and the Tontine Series in Victoria and $126,123, while Daisy Hill won four at Alexandra Park. She is now in foal to the champion European trotter Bold Eagle.

Orlando Vici, the sire of Ollivici and one of the frozen semen roster at Haras Des Trotteurs in Victoria, has the amazing score of having sired 25 individual winners from 52 foals two-years-old or older in Australia and New Zealand.

“He is a lovely looking French horse who is very underrated,” Chapman stated.

Overall, Belle Galleon has produced seven foals of racing age for seven winners – including four at Group level – and they have won 78 races between them and amassed $1,860,055 in stakes.

Undoubtedly, the best of Belle Galleon’s progeny was a champion trotter in Stent, the winner of 30 races including 10 Group 1’s and $1,156,750. His successes included the Australian Trotting Grand Prix twice, Rowe Memorial Cup, Great Southern Star and Anzac Trotters Cup.

Others from Belle Galleon have been the crack racemare Arya ($288,406), a Breeders Crown champion and dual Oaks winner, the Listed winner Belle’s Son ($127,058) and Lone Star Lad ($56,445).

Stent, Arya and Belle’s Son were bred by Casey and Bowden in partnership, while Lone Star Lad was bred by Casey.

“I’m surprised Belle Galleon has never received a broodmare award in recognition of her deeds at stud,” Chapman said.

Belle Galleon won 11 races and $116,114 in stakes and was a smart racemare in her own right.