September 22nd, 2008

Bel Esprit snapped up his second stakes winner for the season with the emphatic victory of Vivacious Spirit in the Group 3 Hocking Stuart South Yarra Stakes (registered name: How Now Stakes) at Caulfield on Saturday (20 September), securing a black type double for Eliza Park stallions at the Heath. 

It was a much deserved win for Vivacious Spirit who, prior to Caulfield, had won two and placed in six from 10 starts. This includes seconds in the Yallambee Classic-G2, Perri Cutten-G2 and Thoroughbred Club-G3, plus a third in the Kevin Hayes-LR. Indeed, Vivacious Spirit has only been out of the money once when she had no luck in this year’s Group One Goodwood Handicap in Adelaide. 

Vivacious Spirit showed that after being ridden off the pace and sprinting way too well for her rivals in the straight, the performance was very impressive. Now connections have worked out that the mare can be ridden more quietly to good effect, this very talented daughter of Bel Esprit can go right on with it. 

To underline the effort it was Vivacious Spirit’s third run back from a spell and she jumped from barrier 18 in the 18 strong field. 

September 1st, 2008

Last spring, Victorian based stallions had their busiest year ever because of the EI lockdown and none had more work than the Group I Blue Diamond and Doomben 10,000 winner, Bel Esprit.  

Bel Esprit covered a massive book of 264 mares while another Victorian Elvstorem (Danehill) covered 222 mares as did Dash For Cash (Secret Savings)  Other Victorian stallions to cover books of more than 200 were Gonski (Danehill) and God's Own (Redoute's Choice).

The Heath heralded the return to the track for Horse of the Year 2006-07 Miss Andretti, it was probably her last race.  Miss Andretti, ran last.  Trained at Rye by Lee Freedman, who said, he could not find anything physically wrong with her, however, she has clearly lost her will to compete and he will recommend retirement for the five time Group 1 winner.

Miss Andretti settled second in running for Dwayne Dunn she dropped right out in the straight, while Bel Mer was ridden back in the pack with plenty of cover and although she did it tough, Craig Newitt, produced her at the right time to let down well and get the better of Red Element (Red Ransom - Tracy's Element by Last Tycoon) to score by a head.

Monet Rules (Commands - Paris Weekend by Gielgud) was the same margin away in third.

Bel Mer is now bound for the Group One Manikato Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on September 13th as are the runner-up and third placegetter. 

Bel Mer, a $110,000 graduate of the 2006 Magic Millions yearling sale, is a triple stakes winner for Bel Esprit, she is one of four winners for her stakes winning dam, Drop Anchor (by At Talaq).

Drop Anchor is out of the Sir Dapper mare, Marine Park a winner of eight races including the Listed VRC Straight Six.

Eliza Park have increased Bel Esprit's fee this season from $20,000 to $33,000 (inc gst).

August 11th, 2008

  Indeed, it was almost a clean sweep for the son of Royal Academy who was Champion Victorian Second Season Sire by earnings, Champion Victorian Second Season Sire by (35) winners (equal with Dash For Cash, but with a superior strike rate), Champion Victorian 2YO Sire by (8) winners and second Leading Victorian 2YO Sire by earnings.

Bel Esprit has come a long way since winning his first race – the 1000m Pierre Fontaine at Moonee Valley – back in October 2001. Four straight wins would follow including the Blue Diamond Stakes, his first Group One.

All up, Bel Esprit would start 19 times, all of them in stakes company, and brought home a cheque in 15. He raced in 12 Group Ones, with a 1-2 finish in six. He would bow out with a victory in the Doomben 10,000-G1 and head to stud in the spring of 2003.

Nearly 500 foals and an Australian record 266 covers last season, Bel Esprit is poised to continue re-writing history. 

His first winner, Gabbidon, won a 2YO Maiden at Murray Bridge in the spring of 2006 and would win the MRC Thousand Guineas Prelude-G3 12 months on. Injury would prevent a tilt at the Thousand Guineas-G1 as nominal favourite.  Shortly before, Bel Mer defeated a star studded field to win the Quezette Stakes-LR, a field which included the Golden Slipper and Blue Diamond winners. In March, Bel Mer repeated the dose in the JRA Stakes for her second stakes victory.

What an amazing performance. With just two crops of racing age, Bel Esprit has been crowned Champion Victorian Sire for 2007-08. Eliza Park can’t say definitively that he’s the only sire to achieve such a distinction and, given that none of us have been around since Scobie Breasley was in short pants, we won’t ‘declare’ it, but it’s a tremendous effort nevertheless.

Belcentra stepped out on Melbourne Cup day at Flemington and won the Lexus-LR by six lengths, Vivacious Spirit is a winner and four times stakes placed from just eight outings, Blue Sky is stakes placed in Melbourne, Tassology, Esprit de Roses, Snip Esprit, Sonic Spree, Babieca Noire and Spirited Halo have all won in town, as has Royal Esprit, winner of three of his last four.

And buyers have responded accordingly with his yearlings selling to $460,000 in 2008. Naturally enough, his new round of 2YO's are with all the leading stables. Interesting times ahead for Victoria’s new king.

August 11th, 2008.

Bel Esprit has started the new season off the same way he finished the last with a winner when Royal Esprit took out the 1200 metre welter at Rosehill on Saturday.

Royal Esprit, a $160,000 purchase from the draft of Huntworth Stud at the 2006 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, was recently transferred to John Hawkes at the start of this preparation and he has blossomed winning four of his five starts since resuming with a win on May 31.

The powerful bay stormed home to win for in-form jockey Glyn Schofield and will be placed to further advantage in coming weeks, his overall record now stands at five wins and two placing's with more than $120,000 in earnings from 13 starts.

Royal Esprit was bred and offered for sale by Huntworth Stud, and is the first foal of the Brief Truce mare Floribunda, a half-sister to Group Three winning sprinter Stormy Regent.

He is one of a number of smart gallopers sired by Eliza Park’s Bel Esprit, who covered a record 264 mares last spring at a fee of $20,000 (inc gst).

This spring his fee is $33,000 (inc gst).

June 19th, 2008

The promising juvenile filly Tassology broke her maiden with a very strong win at Sandown over 1400m.  Tassology had been unlucky at her last start at Geelong when shuffled back early before getting home strongly to just miss over 1200 metres on the Thoroughtrack.  That event was against the fillies and at Sandown she stepped out against the males as well, settling back under Victoria's leading jockey Craig Williams she tracked into the race just before the turn and made a strong run down the middle of the track to score going away.

Tassology is the only foal to race out of In A Teacup (by Mystery Storm), a half-sister to the Group I STC H.E. Tancred Stakes and WATC Australian Derby winner, Heroicity (by Cheraw).  She is one of the many success stories that come out of the Lee Freedman yard owned by Slade Bloodstock, which is run by Rob and Corrina Slade.  The Slades have named her well as Tassology is a term used for the art of reading tea leaves.

February 10th, 2008

Talented three filly, Vivacious Spirit was coming back off stakes class to the Sandown Park (U.K.) Hcp at Caulfield on Saturday and took the event with ease.

Jumping away best from barrier four in the 11-strong field under Craig Newitt who allowed the bay daughter of Bel Esprit to stride to the front.  Controlling the race off a solid tempo he then allowed her to drift out two or three horses away from the inside rail in the straight.  Asking her for another effort she accelerated away from her rivals to score a solid length-and-three-quarters win over La Goulue (Danehill Dancer - Yes She Can Cancan by Canny Lad) with Centexpress (Centaine - Brooke's Express by Snippets) another 2-3/4 lengths away in third.

The win was Vivacious Spirit's second after her excellent third first-up run in the Listed Kevin Hayes (1200m) Stakes at the same track two weeks earlier on return from her short let-up.  Along with that black type placing the victory on Saturday was her second and it took her in her earnings past $90,000.  Out of the Snippets mare Bit of Bliss who is the dam of the nine time winner Jacques Le Naif (by Encosta de Lago) and descends from a family that's produced the Group One winners, Al Hareb (by El Gran Senor) and Snowland (by Snippets). 

January 5th, 2008

Saturday at Sandown was another gold star in the book of young rider Sebastian Murphy, who celebrated his 18th birthday on New Year's Day with a double at Flemington that included the Group 3 Standish Hcp, when he rode a race-to-race double on the card.

Trainer Matt Ellerton made the most of Murphy's one-and-a-half kilo claim to offset the top weight of 58kilos allocated to Spirited Halo (ex Blazing Aura by Blazing Sword) in the New Gleam Super VOBIS Hcp (1400m). 

The three-year-old son of Bel Esprit jumped away from barrier 12 in the 13-strong field best and Murphy sent him straight to the front when he dominated the tempo. Given a breather coming down the hill, Murphy, asked Spirited Halo for another effort at the 300m and they proved too strong for El Poderoso (Tobougg - Olympic Halo by Danewin) by a neck.

The way Spirited Halo claimed his second win from seven starts suggests he's capable to improve off the win.

Ellerton told TVN, "I thought with the claim he (Spirited Halo) would be able to chalk up his second win and ... Sebastian gave him a heady ride." 

Bel Esprit is by Royal Academy from a daughter of the Group I Manawatu Sires' Produce Stakes winner, Vin D'Amour (by Adios). He was rated Australia's Champion Three-Year-Old in 2002 and sofar this season his progeny have won 14 races and more than $800,000. 

Bel Esprit is well represented by three youngsters at the forthcoming New Zealand Bloodstock Select Sale at Karaka, January 30th until February 1st, he has another seven on offer at the WA Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale (Feb 15-22nd) and a big draft of 30 at the William Inglis Premier Yearling Sale (March 1st-6th).

November 7th, 2007

Promising filly Belcentra made the Listed VRC Lexus Stakes over 1400 metres at Flemington on Cup Day her own, when she annihilated her rivals to claim her first black type victory by five-and-a-half lengths.

Trained by Lee Freedman, the daughter of Bel Esprit was sent out a short priced favourite after finishing third in a Group Three event at her previous start and on Tuesday she never looked in danger as she settled behind the early pacemaker in third spot.  Rounding the home turn, rider Corey Brown, waited until she was balanced and gave Belcentra a little more rein and she went straight past Pleasantsundaygirl (Cape Cross - Thunder Nights by Thunder Gulch) like she was tied to a post to score as she liked.  

Aceland Street (Street Cry - Masseera by Alzao) held on for third.

Belcentra was originally being set for the Group One MRC Thousand Guineas, but her preparation got behind with a couple of injury concerns, after an impressive Maiden win at Bendigo on September 9th she's continued to thrive and she has subsequently won at the stiff Moonee Valley course along with a sold third behind Gamble Me in the Group 3 Thoroughbred Club Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield, leading up to her start at Flemington on Tuesday.

“I was just that a week or two behind with it all the way so I thought rather than pushing on, I'd rather just go to the smaller race and come here," Freedman said. 

"We did that with Flame Of Sydney last year and she won probably just as easily."

Belcentra becomes the third individual stakes-winner for young Eliza Park based sire Bel Esprit, with her overall record now standing at three wins and two placings from seven starts with prizemoney of $200,000.  She is owned by a large syndicate put together by Slade Bloodstock, run by Rob and Corinna Slade, they purchased her for a modest $50,000 at the 2006 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale from the draft of Erinvale Thoroughbreds.  Belcentra is the second foal of the Centaine mare Centra Rainbeam, who comes from the family of Group One Oaks winners Tully Thunder and Sandy’s Pleasure.

September 30th, 2007

Eliza Park's young stallion, Bel Esprit, continues to roll out the winners and at Moonee Valley on Friday night his daughter Belcentra  easily won the NHP Electrical Hcp (1200m).

Trainer Lee Freedman said the three-length plus win over Beaming (Canadian Silver - Tough  Assignement bo Covetous) and Falvelon's Dream (Falvelon - She's a Pipe Dream by Jackson Square) came as no surprise and he predicted even further improvement from the Bel Esprit three-year-old.

"She (Belcentra) beat a handy field tonight", Freedman told TVN.

"She showed us plenty as a two-year-old.  We thought she had a great chance in the Inglis Classic won by Incumbent, but, she chipped a bone in her knee.  So we looked after that problem and her work this preparation has been first rate. Her win at Bendigo was very sound - and tonight showed us she's got more to give.  Corey was very kind to her."

Jockey Corey Brown said he expects a lot more from the brown filly.

Belcentra is gathering a handy record with two wins, a second on her five start card, with earnings topping $98,000, already providing her owners' with a small profit as Rob Slade purchased her at the Inglis Premier Yearling sale last year for $50,000 from the draft of the Erinvale Thoroughbreds as agent.  

Slade runs a successful syndication business and all of his horses are prepared by Lee Freedman.

Belcentra's dam Centra Rainbeam (by Centaine), was a moderate racemare with only three starts to her credit, she is a three-quarter-sister-in-blood to the Group 2 2YO Classic winner, Fleur de Chine (by Centaine) who in turn is the dam of the Group I SAJC Australasian Oaks winner, Tully Thunder (by Thunder Gulch).

September 23rd, 2007

Eliza Park's young stallion Bel Esprit is having a great run at the moment and in particular his daughter Gabbidon is stamping her quality, with another top class effort to capture the Group 3 Thousand Guineas Prelude at Caulfield on Saturday.

The three-year-old bay was ridden by Queensland jockey Stathi Katsidis, who secured the ride late late on Saturday morning after Nick Ryan became sick. Katsidis decided to base himself in Melbourne for the spring after he landed the plum ride on the gun sprinting mare, Gold Edition who won the Manikato Stakes at Moonee Valley last weekend.

Trainer Gary Kennewell was happy to have the young hoops services.  Jumping from barrier 12 in a 14-strong field, Katsidis was happy to follow the field for the first two furlongs as the Blue Diamond winner Sleek Chassis was ridden aggressively early to take up the running and she then took them along at a good pace from Tan Tat De Lago.  Sleek Chassis beat off Tan Tat de Lago inside the 300m, but Gabbidon, who had saved ground along the inside after being slowly away, raced to her at the 200m and drew away to impressively to win by a widening length margin from Jestatune (Rory's Jester - Umatune by Umatilla) with Sleek Chassis (Flying Spur - Tigereye by Kappstad) another length-and-a-quarter away in third.

"She missed the start. She's always slow away," Katsidis told TVN's Bruce Clark.

"The connections were very confident. She's got gears."

Gabbidon has now won her last two starts at Caulfield, and she has firmed sharply from $34 to $5 favourite for the Group One Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield on October 17.

Raced by the Alpara Lodge Syndicate, managed by Greg White, Gabbidon has won four of her seven starts.

September 2nd, 2007

Racing was back on track after the equine influenza crisis that halted racing last Saturday and in the first race of the 11-race Memsie and McNeil Stakes card, South Australian trainer Gary Kennewell drew first blood when Gabbidon took out the Bourke Street TAB Hcp (1400m) on Saturday at Caulfield. 

The promising daughter of Bel Esprit had been staying with Graeme Rogerson's Flemington stables for nearly three weeks, and with plenty of time to settle in she ran right up to her top class effort behind Bel Mer at the same track three weeks earlier to claim her third career success from just six starts.

Gabbidon had previously shown her ability with a win over highly-rated colt Purrealist in the Group Three The Jansz (1200m) at Morphettville back in May before being spelled.  

At her first run in Victoria, she was ridden by Nick Ryan in the Quezette Stakes, where the stewards report highlighted she was slowly away and Ryan dropped his whip near the 400m when she finished seventh of eight to Bel Mer in the Listed event when resuming on August 18.

On Saturday Gabbidon was ridden by Craig Newitt, from barrier two and she raced in the first four throughout in a slowly-run race with Enjoy the Joureny leading them to the home turn with Catalan Bay just behind her trying to edge off the fence into the clear.  Bonded and Gabbidon quickly joined in and Gabbidon ran home very strongly to score by 1-1/4 lengths from Absolut Glam (Snowland - Pine Away by Pine Bluff) with Bonded (Danewin - Betta Fortune by Luskin Star) a neck away in third.

Gabbidon, is out of the Scenic mare Eliza Park, she cost her owners the Alpara Lodge syndicate $110,000 at the 2006 Adelaide Magic Millions yearling sale and she has won three of her six starts - with her earnings topping $110,000 in prizemoney she has paid for herself in full.

Eliza Park descends from a very good family that features the group one BTC Doomben Cup winner Akhenaton (by Snippets) and the MRC Blue Diamond winner Paint (by Raami).

Kennewell will aim the filly towards the Group I Thousand Guineas (1600m) at the same track on October 17, with her next run in the Group 3 Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m) on September 22.

Over in South Australia at Morphettville, Bel Esprit, made it a two-state metropolitan double when Snip Esprit (ex French Snip by Snippets) took out the Allan Scott Hcp (1050m) for three-year-olds by 3-1/4 lengths from Giant Killer (Elusive Quality - Serein by Snippets) with Graskey (Grass Wonder - Key to the Met by Mehmet) in third another neck away.

August 19th, 2007

At Caulfield on Saturday, Eliza Park's popular sire Bel Esprit, produced his second stakes winner, with a gutsy performance by Bel Mer in the MRC Listed Quezette Stakes (1100m).

Prepared by Mick Price and ridden by Craig Newitt, she left barrier four best and ridden very aggressively she was taken straight to the front and set up a huge lead as they cornered.  Upon straightening Bel Mer looked to have the race in her keeping, but she got very tired over the final 100m and she had the Blue Diamond winner chasing hard Sleek Chassis (Flying Spur - Tigereye by Kaapstad), however, Bel Mer lasted to score by a half-neck.  Chinchilla Rose (Lion Hunter - Chiara by Last Tycoon) was another long head away in third.

Bel Mer had shown ability since her debut with placing's in the metropolitan area and she is the first stakes winner of the new season for Bel Esprit who recently grabbed the Leading Victorian First Season Sire title by winners and it appears the Champion son of Royal Academy is ready to carve a real niche at stud.

May 7th, 2007

It was group one Goodwood Handicap day at Morphettville in South Australia on Sunday and one of the smart performances on the undercard was turned in by the Bel Esprit filly, Gabbidon, with her victory in the Group 3 The Jansz (1200m).

Gabbidon (ex Eliza Park by Scenic) was coming off an unlucky fourth in the Listed SA Stakes (1050m), behind Fasline, got away from her rivals at the top of the straight and scored an impressive half-length win over Purrealist (Tale of the Cat - Surrealist) with Little Arrow (Align - Cupid's Dart) another two lengths away in third.

Prepared in South Australia by Gary Kennewell, who told SKY, that she will now head to Queensland for the feature Group 2 Sires Produce Stakes (1400m) and the Group I T.J. Smith Stakes (1600m). 

“She’s always been a really nice horse, pretty classy,” Kennewell said. “I fell in love with her the first time I saw here and had to have her.”

Kennewell paid $110,000 for the Bel Esprit filly, from the 2006 Magic Millions Adeliade sale from the draft of Eliza Park Stud and provides her young sire with his first stakes winner.

Bel Esprit's is well represented by a number of quality youngsters at the forthcoming Magic Millions National Sale at the Gold Coast in June, with seven weanlings catalogued, four colts and three fillies, and another five yearlings are catalogued including a half sister to Group One winner Rockabubble.

Bel Esprit's fee remains the same as last year's fee this spring at $20,000 (inc gst).

January 19th, 2007

We trust you all snapped up the $3.10 on Rich Forever at Geelong today (Thursday)?

Not as if you didn’t get the ‘oil’ …

Rich Forever set the alarm bells ringing on debut when he ran a great second behind fellow Bel Esprit 2YO – Beau Esprit – at Werribee on New Year’s Eve.

Trainer Tony Vasil declared then that he had an above average young’un in his midst and, while none of us are going to be rich forever on $3.10, it’s better than bank interest.

Rich Forever showed ‘em a clean quartet of hoofs at Geelong, sprinting away effortlessly to notch up a comfortable victory over Apple Crumble.

The third winner from seven runners for first crop sire Bel Esprit, one of Australia’s favourite racehorses in the past decade and now firmly ensconced at Eliza Park, Victoria.

But while Rich Forever may have snuck under the radar, the Bel Esprit's certainly haven’t. Bel Esprit’s 2nd crop of yearlings went under the hammer on the Gold Coast last week, selling up to $145,000 and finding all the right ‘homes’. Indeed three are destined for the all-conquering Freedman stable (trainer of Beau Esprit).