Bella Lavita Future Under A Cloud

The extraordinary highs and lows of racing have struck trainer John McArdle within weeks of each other, with the future of Bella Lavita, the unraced Pierro half-sister to Gr1 winner My Gladiola, now uncertain following serious physical problems that have required surgery. McArdle celebrated the biggest result of My Gladiola’s career when the daughter of I Am Invincible captured the Gr1 Moir Stakes last month, but punters.com.au reports attention has since turned to her younger sibling, whose prospects of reaching the racetrack are now in doubt despite the considerable promise attached to her pedigree. According to punters.com.au, Bella Lavita has undergone surgeries and McArdle is unable to guarantee that the three-year-old will ultimately make it to race day, a particularly difficult development given the expectations surrounding the daughter of Pierro. Bella Lavita was purchased for $180,000 by Riverstone Lodge at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale and is out of high-class mare Villa Verde, herself a Gr2-winning daughter of Not A Single Doubt who also placed at Gr1 level and has produced a family with considerable commercial value. Bella Lavita had shown enough in her early education to fuel optimism, appearing in jump-outs and trials for McArdle, including a Caulfield Heath hit-out in May, but her progression has subsequently been interrupted and her racing future has become secondary to recovery. The contrast with My Gladiola is particularly stark. Bred and sold by Kia Ora Stud before being purchased for $550,000 at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, My Gladiola has developed into the standout performer produced by Villa Verde, graduating to the highest level after repeatedly competing against elite sprinting opposition and breaking through in the Moir. The family has also endured the loss of Villa Verde this year, making the uncertainty surrounding Bella Lavita another setback for connections after what had otherwise been a memorable period. McArdle has enjoyed an intimate association with the family and had been entrusted with Bella Lavita while overseeing My Gladiola’s rise, but there is no inclination to compromise the younger filly’s welfare simply to pursue a racing career. Her pedigree ensures she retains value regardless of whether she eventually competes, yet for a stable that had every reason to dream of another talented representative from Villa Verde, the immediate priority is simply giving Bella Lavita every opportunity to recover.