Pedigree

                                                               Fairy King
                                       Helissio (FR)
                                                               Helice
Ellistrin Belle (IRE)
2008 bay mare
                                                               Lycius
                                       Hannah Park
                                                               Wassl This Then

The family

Ellistrin Belle is owned by Ron & Eileen Smith having been bred by The Potassium Partnership, the syndicate who also own the dam Hannah Park.
A triple flat winner in Germany, Hannah Park was then moved to Scotland to be trained by Peter Monteith to win a couple of hurdles in 2002 & 2003.
As well as Hannah Park, second dam Wassl This Then has produced another 2 winners, those being the sprinter De Tiger and flat winner/fair handicap hurdler Cat Five.
Wassl This Then herself, was a dual flat winner over 1m 2f/1m 3f.
Belle is the third foal out of Hannah Park, with her elder brother King Kalium being a winning hurdler. Her younger sibling Shades of Midnight is also at Dodands Steading and has won a bumper and over hurdles.

About the sire

Helissio (bay horse, born 1993) is by Fairy King, who of course is a full brother to the stallion legend that is Sadler's Wells. Helissio was trained in France and raced at 3 and 4, with an impressive race record. In addition to the Arc (which he won by 5 lengths), he won another 5 Group 1 events, 8 races in total between 10-12f. He also had a fine record on softer ground.
Helissio was retired to stud in 1998, and was initially standing in Japan where he bred several black-type performers in both Australia and Japan.
After a couple of years standing at the National Stud in Newmarket, he has been used principally as an NH Sire since 2006, and is now starting to have a few jumps winners, such as Henderson's Thanks for Coming, Devils Bride for Mullins and Coologue for Charlie Longsdon.

Form Summary

Having been leased for racing to The Potassium Partnership for the last couple of seasons, Ellistrin Belle raced for her owners Ron & Eileen Smith from the start of the 2014-15 season. And were delighted with a win in a Sedgefield handicap hurdle in the November of that season!

Back to the start though and Ellistrin Belle came into our yard in the spring of 2012, and we started the gentle process of introducing her into the daily routine of morning exercise, and being turned out in the afternoons. She progressed quite quickly onto the gallops, and was (and still is!) an enthusiastic worker on our woodchip surface. Anyway, after a couple of months of working upsides her stable companions, we turned the filly out to grass in the summer of 2012.

And we were equally pleased with Ellistrin Belle in her morning work all through her first real season (2012-13), showing a fair degree of pace on the gallops.
Onto the racecourse in February 2013 where Ellistrin Belle finished 3rd on her bumper debut, and followed that with a couple of more races (one in a hurdle) where she ran well for a long way. She certainly strengthened up over the following summer, and ran fairly well in a couple of her handicap hurdles in the following season (2013-14). Pick of the bunch was a 4th place in February at Musselburgh over 2m 4f, where she travelled like the winner turning for home only to be run out of second place after the last.

Belle is a smooth traveller and best when fresh, so we'll aim her at a handicap hurdle in the autumn. She will make an attractive broodmare prospect when her racing career closes.

Season		win	2nd	3rd	4th	other
2012-13	NH Flat			1		1
	Hurdles					1
2013-14	Hurdles				2	4
2014-15	Hurdles	1				3
2015-16	Hurdles	1				2

Current Season Form

31 January 16 Sedgefield : 2m 1f hdcp hurdle (Class 5 0-100) OR94 good to soft 8 ran (C Whillans (3)) - pulled up

Held up on outside, driven and outpaced before 4 out, struggling from next, tailed off when pulled up before 2 out

4 January 16 Musselburgh : 2m hdcp hurdle (Class 4 0-105) OR94 good to soft 13 ran (C Whillans (3)) - 9th

Keen, held up in mid division, tracking leaders 4 out and every chance, weakened from 2 out.

Belle pulled a bit hard early and may have used up some valuable energy before settling. But in all honesty she held every chance entering the straight but had no more to give.

10 November 15 Sedgefield : 2m 1f hdcp hurdle (Class 5 0-100) OR89 good to soft 7 ran (C Whillans (3)) - won by ½l

Waited with in rear. Good headway to track leaders appr 3 out, soon led, mistake 2 out when challenged, driven out and held on well.

After winning this race last season, Belle's form did dip quite significantly, but she does run well fresh, so all summer we trained her with the aim of returning and hoping that lightening would strike twice. And it did!