Black Caviar's half-sister makes inauspicious debut with hardfought loss in Bendigo maiden Brad Rawiller and Paddy's Gem (left) defeats Damien Oliver onboard Belle Couture. THE $2.6 million half-sister to the great Black Caviar was pipped on the post on debut in a Bendigo maiden yesterday. But trainer Danny O'Brien and jockey Damien Oliver said they were far from giving up on Belle Couture despite the inauspicious racetrack start. Starting $1.50 favourite, the three-year-old filly was edged out by a short half-head by home-bred fellow first-starter Paddy's Gem, the $7.30 second elect. "She came here for the ­experience and education and it is not the end of the world," O'Brien said. I think she will be a filly who can get out to 1400m or a mile and that gives her a lot of options. She is not a rip, tear and sprint galloper. Very much more like (Black Caviar's star half brother) All Too Hard than Black Caviar. I think she has the right ­attitude to make a good racehorse. This is the start, not the finish. I do believe she is a stakes-class filly, if not this autumn then by next spring. Oliver said Belle Couture, by Redoute's Choice out of Helsinge, the mother of Black Caviar and All Too Hard, was fighting back and would have won in another stride or two. "A little further and she would have won," he said. This is not the worst thing that can happen to her because she can get to be a racehorse in normal circumstances instead of being under the microscope. O'Brien agreed, saying the filly now could return with more maturity for another maiden rather than having to go straight to town for her ­second run. Belle Couture took the lead at the 200m mark of the 1100m race but was quickly tackled by Paddy's Gem and I'm An Outoftowner. She fought back in a blanket finish to be beaten a short half-head with a neck to third. The let-down continued a dramatic past fortnight. Belle Couture was bought by Bill Vlahos's now failed BC3 outfit at the 2012 Sydney Easter Yearling Sale. Receivers last week ordered the sale of BC3's remaining 16 per cent of Belle Couture and the share was snapped up on Wednesday by shareholder Donna Love.