High priced filly, Belle Couture, is causing headaches for her connections after another inglorious display at Flemington on Saturday last when she only beat one horse home in the Trevor Clarke Handicap.

At least it was a slight improvement, (pardon the pun), when she finished stone motherless last at her previous start, also at Flemington.

So much for the high priced yearlings, the perfect recipe for disaster, from the 32 yearlings sold at the Sydney Easter Sales, for a million dollars or more, only one has shown a return above its purchase price.

As we have been told so many times she is half sister to Black Caviar, a champion winner of 25 races, almost $8 million in stakes, she was purchased for $210,000, bidding ceased at $2.6 million when Belle Couture was sold.

The big winner out of it all was the breeder, the purchaser was living in the anticipation of lightning might strike twice in the same spot, but it hasn’t to date.

The chemistry between the half sisters is different, each is by a separate sire, the genetic balance may be similar but there are no rules or guarantees one successful generation is invariably not the yardstick to follow as illustrated so often.

Helsinge, the matron of the family is now rising 13; she was unraced, by Desert Sun from Scandinavia by Snippets, which has proved a successful winning family.

The foal to follow Black Caviar was her only full relation to race, Moshe, whilst not in the class of his full sister, won three races from five starts, the following year nature stepped in when Helsinge missed to Churchill Downs.

A break of a full season obviously paid dividends when Helsinge was mated with Casino Prince, the result was the four times Group 1winner All Too Hard ,she has subsequently borne four foals since, she was not mated last season.

Belle Couture has had just the four starts, her first up, second at Bendigo did nothing for her image, while her only win at Caulfield was a fairly weak affair.

After her two shockers at Flemington maybe she resents the straight track, whilst stabled on the course and working there she always looks uncomfortable racing, carrying her head high and not fully letting down.

Maybe it is now decision time, her residual value is falling off in layers, it may be time to pull up stumps and think of the future.

Belle Couture winning at Caulfield