Written by Megan Taylor, sports reporter covering international sports since 2020
Bellatrix Star will make a carefully managed return to racing at Caulfield on Saturday when she lines up in the $200,000 Group 3 Sir John Monash Stakes.
Trainer Mark Walker is taking a measured approach with the talented mare, whose comeback follows a difficult run of injuries and setbacks across the past two seasons.
The Caulfield return comes during another busy racing period, after Cellarmaster won the 2026 Winx Guineas in a thrilling photo finish.
Walker Wary After Setbacks
Bellatrix Star has not raced since finishing last in the Listed Doveton Stakes in November.
Her previous Group 1 attempt came in the Champions Sprint more than 12 months ago, where she also finished unplaced.
“We’ve had a lot of problems with her and she’s been off the scene for a long time,” Walker commented.
“She had an accident coming home from the swimming pool, she fractured her neck when a loose horse ran past and she reared up and fell over.
“We got her over that, then she had her first start back and she chipped a fetlock and had to go for fetlock surgery.
“That’s just racing, you take the good with the bad. She’s still very lightly-raced, so if she ran well on Saturday, hopefully we get things back on track.”
Trial Form Offers Hope
Bellatrix Star has won five of her 12 starts, including Group 2 victories in the Eclipse Stakes in New Zealand and the Schillaci Stakes against older horses.
She was also runner-up to Switzerland in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes, a performance that showed the level Walker believes she can still reach.
The daughter of Star Witness has had two trials and two jumpouts before her return.
Her latest Cranbourne jumpout was strong, with Bellatrix Star winning by two lengths over Midnight Devil and Pinstriped.
Craig Williams rode her in that workout and will stay aboard on race day.
“It was encouraging that Craig rode her in the jumpout and he’s riding her raceday, so that gives us a bit of a push,” Walker said.
Official race information is available through Racing Victoria.
