14 for Belardo
New first season sire winners
Belardo
Haunui Farm shuttler Belardo (Lope De Vega), who will have his first southern hemisphere two-year-olds this season, sired his 14th individual winner on Sunday when Lenny Belardo (2 c ex Tina’s Spirit by Invincible Spirit) took out a handicap over 1200 metres at Pisa. Lenny Belardo got off the mark at his seventh attempt, having recorded two thirds and four fourths in his previous appearances this season. The colt defeated Ladyhawe (Dylan Thomas) into second, with Mr Bisso (Gutaifan) third in the six-runner field. Belardo has already produced five stakes winners in the northern hemisphere, with Rockfel Stakes (Gr 2, 7f) winner Isabella Giles the pick of the bunch. Darley recently announced Belardo would stand at Kildangan Stud in Ireland for an unchanged fee of €10,000 (approx. AUD$16,150) in 2021.
Vadamos
The Joseph O’Brien-trained Messidor (2 f ex Pyrenean Queen by Zoffany) took out a fillies’ maiden over seven furlongs on Dundalk’s all-weather surface on Wednesday evening, earning first season sire Vadamos (Monsun) his 12th individual winner. Messidor’s first win came at the third time of asking but the filly had shown promise on her first two appearances, including a half-length defeat on debut. She was sent off an evens favourite under Declan McDonogh and comfortably landed the contest by two and a quarter lengths, with runner-up Golden Lyric (Lope De Vega) pulling well clear of Blue Bunny (Markaz) in third. Rich Hill shuttler Vadamos, a Group 1 winner in France, is standing for NZ$15,000 + GST.
New Group/Grade 1 winners
Reliable Man
Westbury Stud shuttle stallion Reliable Man (Dalakhani) sired his third individual Group 1 winner on Saturday when Inspirational Girl (5 m ex Be Inspired by Zabeel) landed the Railway Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) at Ascot. The Grant and Alana Williams-trained five-year-old, successful in last month’s Asian Beau Stakes (Gr 3, 1400m), made the successful transition to top-tier company to join VRC Oaks (Gr 1, 2500m) heroine Miami Bound and New Zealand Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Miss Sentimental as Group 1 winners for her sire, who is standing for a fee of NZD$15,000 (plus GST) in 2020. Reliable Man has stood the last three northern hemisphere breeding seasons in France, but he will next year return to Gestut Rottgen in Germany for the first time since 2017, where his advertised fee is €6,500 (approx. AUD$10,500).
New stakes winners
American Devil
Haras du Grand Chesnaie’s American Devil (American Post) sired his first stakes winner on Tuesday when Lupo Nero (3 c ex Okapina by Okawango) took out the Prix Tantieme (Listed, 1600m) on heavy ground at Saint-Cloud. Ridden by Pierre-Charles Boudot, Lupo Nero successfully followed up his win in a conditions race at the track last month, defeating five-year-old Mon Ami L’Ecossais (Orpen) by half a length, with Godolphin’s Telemaque (War Front) a further two and a half lengths back in third. American Devil, a Group 3 winner in his racing career, has had 21 winners from 55 runners as a stallion and stood for a fee of €2,500 (approx. AUD$4,065) in 2020.
Dubawi
Exciting Godolphin colt Midtown (2 c ex First City by Diktat) justified odds-on favoritism to land the Prix Herod (Listed, 1400m) at Chantilly under Mickael Barzalona on Wednesday, earning Dubawi (Dubai Millenium) his 192nd individual stakes winner. The Andre Fabre-trained colt emphatically broke his maiden with a nine-length victory on debut at Saint-Cloud earlier this month and was subsequently sent off the 2-5 favourite for this Listed contest on heavy ground. Bought for 210,000gns at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale last year, Midtown continued his progression with a two-length win over Best Lightning, who is by Telemon Stud shuttler Sidestep (Exceed And Excel), with Saqr (Dutch Art) a further length and a quarter back in third. Darley recently announced Dubawi will continue to stand at Dalham Hall Stud for £250,000 (approx. AUD$454,800) in 2021.
English Channel
Calumet Farm stallion English Channel (Smart Strike) sired his 54th individual stakes winner on Sunday when Unique Diamond (5 g ex Diamond Dilemma by Sinndar) took out the Premio Roma Vecchia (Listed, 2800m) at Rome. The five-year-old had nine wins from 30 starts entering his weekend assignment but had yet to break through at stakes level, with a fourth-place finish in the 2019 Premio Unire (Listed, 2250m) his best previous effort in this company. Ridden by Germano Marcelli, Unique Diamond ended the drought by defeating Aldrodovar (Lord Chaparral), with Fambrus (Oasis Dream) in third. Six-time Grade 1 winner English Channel stood at Calumet Farm, Kentucky for a fee of US$35,000 (approx. AUD$47,925) in 2020.
Frost Giant
Miss Frost (5 m ex Mega Me by Danewin) earned Frost Giant (Giant’s Causeway) his 17th individual stakes success when taking out the Jungle Mist Classic (Listed, 1200m) at Ascot on Saturday. Bred by Yarradale Stud, the ultra-consistent Miss Frost, who has finished in the placings in ten of her 13 career starts, took up the lead with 200 metres to go and pulled clear nicely to score by half a length. She defeated $19 chance Why Choose Her (Choisir) into second place, with Tycoon Storm (Written Tycoon) a further length behind in third. The well-fancied Flower Of War (War Chant), who was sent off at $2.35, could only finish fourth. Frost Giant, who has previously stood at Yarradale Stud, was based at Irish Hill and Dutchess Views in the United States for a fee of US$2,500 (approx. AUD$3,425) in 2020.
Gimmethegreenlight
Last start Starling Stakes (Gr 3, 1400m) runner-up Gee For Go (3 f ex Nunavik by Fort Wood) avenged that near miss in fine style when taking out the Fillies Mile (Gr 3, 1600m) at Turffontein on Saturday, becoming the 27th individual stakes winner for Varsfontein Stud resident Gimmethegreenlight (More Than Ready). Trained by Paul Matchett, the three-year-old was winning for the second time in eight outings when getting the better of Miss Elegance (Master Of My Fate) by a length. Due Diligence, who returned the 11-4 second favourite, was a further three and a quarter lengths adrift in third as 5-4 market leader Caralluma (Pomodoro) was well-held in fifth. Gimmethegreenlight is best known to an Australasian audience as the sire of Chris Waller-trained import Yulong Prince, winner of the Cantala Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m), as well as South African top-tier winners Got The Greenlight and Gunner. He is standing for a fee of R75,000 (approx. AUD$6,650) in 2020.
Kingman
Kinross (3 c ex Ceilidh House by Selkirk) became Kingman’s (Invincible Spirit) 30th individual stakes winner when he landed the Hyde Stakes (Listed, 1m) on the all-weather at Kempton on Wednesday night. The Ralph Beckett-trained colt had not won since his eight-length maiden victory on debut at Newmarket over 12 months ago but ended his drought with a three-quarter-length win over favourite, and last year’s runner-up, Khuzaam (Kitten’s Joy). Via Serendipity (Invincible Spirit) finished a length behind the winner in third. Juddmonte announced last week that star stallion Kingman’s stud fee will remain at £150,000 (approx. AUD$272,670) in 2021.
Medaglia d’Oro
Jonabell Farm flag-bearer Medaglia d’Oro (El Prado), who shuttled to Australia for eight consecutive breeding seasons between 2010 and 2017, sired his 144th individual stakes winner on Saturday when North Dakota (4 c ex Starry Dreamer by Rubiano) took out the Red Smith Stakes (Gr 3, 11f) on the turf course at Aqueduct. Trained by Claude McGaughey, North Dakota ran fourth in the Sycamore Stakes (Gr 3, 12f) at Keeneland on October 15 and he built on that form when getting the better of Red Knight (Pure Prize) by half a length. Ziyad (Rock Of Gibraltar) finished a further head adrift in third. Bred in the purple, North Dakota is a half-brother to Grade 2 winner and leading sire War Front (Danzig) and dual Grade 2 winner Teammate (A.P. Indy) being out of the Grade 1-placed Starry Dreamer (Rubiano). Medaglia d’Oro, sire of outstanding race-mares Rachel Alexandra and Songbird as well as dual Grade 1-winning Spendthrift stallion Bolt d’Oro, will stand for a fee of $150,000 (approx. AUD$205,400) in 2021.
Mount Nelson
Dato (4 c ex Dear Lavinia by Grand Slam) took out the Grosser Dresdner Herbstpreis (Listed, 2200m) at Dresden on Wednesday to earn Mount Nelson (Rock Of Gibraltar) his 27th individual stakes winner. The Sascha Smrczek-trained colt finished runner-up in the Grosser Preis der Besitzervereinigung (Gr 3, 2000m) at Hanover last month but went one better when dropped back in class, defeating Enjoy The Moon (Sea The Moon) into second, with Perfect Pitch (Campanologist) in third. Mount Nelson, a Group 1 winner during his race career, was standing at Boardsmill Stud in Ireland before dying aged 15 last year.
Proisir
Rich Hill Stud’s Proisir (Choisir) brought up stakes winner number four on Saturday when Levante (4 m ex Island Doy by Doyoun) charged home to win the Counties Bowl (Listed, 1100m) at Pukekohe. Sent out second favourite in a hot betting race, the Ken and Bev Kelso-prepared Levante – beaten only once when second to Gold Bracelet (Pins) at her last start in the Wellington Guineas (Gr 2, 1400m) – returned a winner at her first start since March. She charged home from last under Sam Collett to defeat the well-travelled Group 1 winner Summer Passage (Snitzel) by a length and a half, with Its Destinys Child (Castledale) a length and a quarter away in third, a nose in front of top-weight Julius (Swiss Ace). Levante is the sixth foal to race – and the fifth winner – out of Island Doy (Doyoun), a two-time winner at Clonmel in 1999. Island Doy is a half-sister to Brisbane Group 3 winner Cryptavia (Gold Brose), while fourth dam Barbra (Le Fabuleux) and fifth dam Biobelle (Cernobbio) are both French blue hens. Proisir stands for NZ$9,000 (plus GST) at Rich Hill Stud this season.
Shanghai Bobby
Third in the Los Alamitos Futurity (Gr 1, 8.5f) behind Improbable (City Zip) as a juvenile, Extra Hope (4 c ex Lotsandlotsofhope by Tiznow) got off the mark in Graded company when he landed the Native Diver Stakes (Gr 3, 9f) on the dirt at Del Mar on Saturday. In doing so, he became the 36th individual stakes winner for Arrow Stud stallion Shanghai Bobby (Harlan’s Holiday), a former resident of Ashford Stud who was sold to Japanese interests in 2018. Trained by Richard Mandella and ridden by Juan Hernandez, Extra Hope got the better of Midcourt (Midnight Lute) by a length, with a further two and a half lengths back to Combatant (Scat Daddy) in third. Shanghai Bobby is the sire of six Grade 1 winners in South America.
Siyouni (pictured above)
Honey Cake (3 f ex Pink Anemone by Dansili) took out the Prix Ceres (Listed, 1400m) at Fontainebleau on Thursday to bring up Siyouni’s (Pivotal) 43rd individual stakes winner. Remarkably, Siyouni was the sire of the first four horses home, with Private Romance finishing one and three-quarter lengths behind Honey Cake in second. Femina was a neck behind in third, while Marly brought up the Siyouni quartet in fourth. Aga Khan Stud’s Siyouni, the sire of this year’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Sottsass, has had his fee raised to €140,000 (approx. AUD$227,850), up from €100,000 (approx. AUD$162,750), for 2021.
Sweynesse
Last season’s New Zealand champion first season sire Sweynesse (Lonhro) produced his third individual stakes winner on Saturday when Brix (2 f ex Somethymesoon by Postponed) took out the Fasttrack Insurance 2YO Stakes (registered as the Counties Challenge Stakes) (Listed, 1100m) at Pukekohe. Still a maiden after three starts, the Glen Harvey-trained Brix pulled out plenty under Sam Collett to defeat second favourite Quattro Quinta (Darci Brahma) by a short neck with three-quarters of a length to Cool Change (Showcasing) in third, just in advance of market leader Beldarra (Hinchinbrook). Purchased for $45,000 at this year’s NZB Premier Yearling Sale out of the Kilgravin Lodge draft, Brix is the fourth foal to race out of the Group 3-placed Somethymesoon (Postponed), who herself is a sister to Post Thyme, a stakes winner on both sides of the Tasman. Sweynesse stands at Novara Park for NZ$6,000 (plus GST) in 2020.
War Chant
Chantorque (3 f ex Contortion by Redoute’s Choice) took out Saturday’s Placid Ark Stakes (Listed, 1200m) at Ascot to continue on her upward curve and provide Yarradale Stud resident War Chant (Danzig) with his 44th individual stakes winner. Trained by Russell Stewart, Chantorque was winning for the fourth time in five outings when she came home a length and a quarter too strong for Charleton Eddie (Shooting To Win) at her first start at Listed level. Mystical View (Canford Cliffs) was another half a length adrift in third. Chantorque is one of three winners from three foals to race from the winning Redoute’s Choice (Danehill) mare Contortion, who herself is out of the Group 2-placed It’s Who Deanie (Fuji Kiseki). War Chant is standing for a fee of $11,000 (inc. GST) in 2020 and his progeny include three Group 1 winners on three different continents, Silent Sedition having taken out the William Reid Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) at Moonee Valley, Midnight Interlude the Santa Anita Derby (Gr 1, 9f) and Kingsfort the National Stakes (Gr 1, 7f) at the Curragh.