Brilliant at two and three when he won Gr.1 events and now a successful young sire, Bel Esprit represents a speed branch of the Northern Dancer line that is not via Danzig but rather through classic winner Nijinsky and his talented sire son Royal Academy.

He has been really well supported by breeders and seems set for even more glory in the years to come from his base at Eliza Park Stud in Victoria.

AS a Gr.1 winner at two and three and a sire of winners up to Gr.1 level, Bel Esprit, who stands at Eliza Park, Kerrie, can rightly be described as one of the best young sires in the country.

  Born in 1999 and entering stud in 2003, the son of Royal Academy (USA) and Bespoken (Vain), already has 164 winners from 277 starters (59.2%) of $10.6m, and his 10 stakes winners (five in the past season) are led by the brilliant Bel Mer (dam by At Talaq), whose four wins include the SAJC Robert Sangster Stakes-Gr.1. His other stakes winners are Black Cavair (Desert Sun), Gabbidon (Scenic), Vivacious Spirit (Snippets), Belcentra (Centaine), Beltrois (Noalcoholic), Silver Bullion (Desert King), Strike the Tiger (Straight Strike), Peach Tree (Naturalism) and Mooring (At Talaq, he is a brother to Bel Mer).

  Bel Esprit’s stakes placed runners have come from daughters of Alzao, Zeditave, Brief Truce, Supremo and New Regent and he has had further good winners from daughters of Snippets (several), Encosta de Lago, Rubiton, Bubble Gum fellow, Umatilla, Green Dancer, Flying Spur, Blazing Sword, Canny Lad, Geiger Counter and Blevic. All this success seemed very unlikely when Bel Esprit was offered by breeder Phil Gunter as a yearling at the 2001 Inglis Classic. Despite being by an international champion racehorse and sire and from a mare by a Golden Slipper winner who is also a half-sister to a Gr.1 winner, Bel Esprit was overlooked by most buyers because of less than perfect front legs and was knocked down to the bid of Macedon Lodge for just $9000 (he would go on and win $2.073m).

  Of course it’s the things we can’t see (courage, will to win, heart) just as much as what is on public display in the sale ring that will determine if a yearling will go on to a successful career on the track, and so many of the world’s greatest sires (Danzig, Mr. Prospector and Seattle Slew for starters) have borne the same criticism about their front legs but still had distinguished careers. Yearling buyers soon get over their wariness when horses by a sire start winning Black Type!

  Bel Esprit found a great ally in Lee Fleming and he installed the muscular bay horse at his Eliza Park Stud at Kerrie and he has really supported him with some of the stud’s best matrons. Breeders from around the country also welcomed the son of Royal Academy and he covered 122 mares (at $18,150) in the 2003 season. He covered books of 152, 210, 162 and 266 (an Australian record) in the next four seasons and that dropped to 110 in 2008 (at his highest fee $33,000), before climbing to 251 last season when his fee was reduced to $16,500 because of the global financial crisis (it is $27,500 this season).

  Bel Esprit’s popularity is hardly surprising, given that he was a sensation from the moment he stepped on to a racetrack, winning the MVRC St Albans Stakes-LR at Moonee Valley by four lengths on October 27, 2001 for trainer John Symons and running the 1000m in 58.95. On November 10 he took the Maribyrnong Plate-Gr.2 (100m) by a similar margin from Nessuno, running 57.03 and showing such speed that Royal Hero, who shared the early lead with Bel Esprit, compounded to finish last of eight, 21 lengths from the winner.

  Given a break until Australia Day, 2002, Bel Esprit again toyed with the opposition in the Blue Diamond Preview-Gr.3 (1000m) at Caulfield, leading all the way as the $1.80 favourite to beat 10/1 chance C’Est le Reve by 4.5 lengths in 58.84. The Blue Diamond Prelude-Gr.3 (1100m) on February 10 was next in his sequence of wins and the hot favourite again led all the way for jockey Wayne Treloar to beat Cool Trent by 1.5 lengths in 1:05.21. He went straight into the Blue Diamond Stakes-Gr.1 (1200m) at Caulfield on February 23 and again led all the way to hold off fast-finishing Brief Embrace (Pillaging third, Delago Brom fourth) in 1:09.23 to take his unbeaten sequence to five.

  Bel Esprit started favourite for the Golden Slipper-Gr.1 at Rosehill the following month and was seventh turning for home before finishing fifth (1.7 lengths) behind Calaway Gal, Victory Vein, Choisir and Planchet. Bel Esprit was then given a break and resumed as an early three year-old with a three-length defeat of Able Choice in the Listed Mitchell McKenzie Stakes (1000m in 59.04) at Moonee Valley on August 17. He was next at the races on August 31 taking the H.D.F. McNeil Stakes-Gr.3 (1100m in 1:01.97) by 3.5 lengths from Yell after sitting second behind early leader Before Too Long (third, beaten five lengths) and then racing away down the Caulfield straight.

  Back into Gr.1 company on September 14, the three year-old, who started favourite, found swooper Spinning Hill too strong at the finish and was three-quarters of a length second after attempting to lead all the way in the Manikato Stakes at Moonee Valley. He was again runner-up in the Invitation Stakes-Gr.1 (1400m), three-quarters of a length behind Pernod, on September 22 and in the Caulfield Guineas-Gr.1 (1600m) on October 12, beaten 1.5 lengths by Helenus, with Choisir third. He ended his campaign with an unplaced run in the Cox Plate-Gr.1 behind Northerly, after failing to stay the 2040m.

  Unplaced first up in the Lightning Stakes-Gr.1 behind Choisir on February 9, 2003 and then well back in the Oakleigh Plate-Gr.1 behind River Dove. Bel Esprit had a return to form in the Newmarket Handicap-Gr.1 on March 8, beaten three-quarters of a length by Golden Slipper winner Belle du Jour (who ran the 1200m down the Flemington straight in 1:08.64) after being mid-field early.

  An unplaced run in the William Reid-Gr.1 was followed by a break, and the three year-old resumed in Sydney on May 3 with a third to Spinning Hill and Yell in the T.J. Smith-Gr.1 before heading to Brisbane where he tackled the Doomben 10,000-Gr.1 on May 17. Bel Esprit led in the early stages and was second behind Lord Essex as the field turned for home before powering away in the straight to beat Private Steer by 1.25 lengths and with Spinning Hill third, Yell fourth (Falvelon sixth) and running the 1350m in 1:18.35. He was retired with eight wins, four seconds and a third in 19 starts and earnings of $2,073,600 after finishing mid-field in the Stradbroke-Gr.1 behind Private Steer on June 7.

  Bel Esprit’s sire Royal Academy is a son of champion Nijinsky and the Gr.3 winner Crimson Saint (Crimson Satan), a half-sister to Gr.2 winner Terlingua (Secretariat), the dam of champion sire Storm Cat (Storm Bird). During her three-year racing career, Crimson Saint displayed brilliant speed, winning the 1973 Hollywood Express Handicap-Gr.3 at Hollywood Park and three other stakes. As a two year-old in 1971, she equalled the world record by running four furlongs in 44.80 at Oaklawn Park. While winning the Meteor Handicap at Hollywood in 1973, she set a track record for five furlongs in 56.

  The dam of 12 foals, Crimson Saint produced seven winners from eight starters, including Group winners Terlingua, Pancho Villa, and Royal Academy, Listed stakes winner Alydariel, and stakes-placed runners Encino and Border Run. Her final foal, born in 1992 was the unraced Artichoke filly Prawn Cocktail, who went to stud in Australia (along with her Irish stakes placed daughter Marigot Bay), producing Langoustine and One World and the South African-based sire Lizard Island. Crimson Saint died, aged 32, in 2001.

  Royal Academy, bred by Tom Gentry, was the highest priced auction yearling of 1988, making $US3.5m at Keeneland July Sale.  He was raced by Classic Thoroughbreds and had two starts for Vincent O’Brien at two, winning the Late Developers Two Year Old Maiden (6f) on debut in September 1989 before finishing sixth of seven in the Dewhurst Stakes-Gr.1 behind Dashing Blade on October 20.

He resumed the following April with a win in the Tetrarch Stakes-Gr.3 (7f) at the Curragh and was runner-up to Tirol in the Irish 2000 Guineas-Gr.1 (1600m) the following month (rated Champion 3Y0 Miler in Ireland).

  Reverting to sprinting, Royal Academy defeated some of Britain’s best short course performers in the July Cup-Gr.1 (6f) at Newmarket on July 12 and was then beaten by champion sprinter Dayjur in the Sprint Cup-Gr.1 (6f) at Haydock on September 8 before being sent to the US where he won the Breeders’ Cup Mile-Gr.1 (8f) from Itsallgreektome, Priolo and Steinlen on October 27, running 1:35.20.

  Royal Academy’s sire Nijinsky also made a record price when he was offered for sale in Canada in 1968, making $84,000 to the bid of Vincent O’Brien, acting on behalf of “platinum king” Charles Engelhard. The Northern Dancer-Flaming Page (Bull Page) colt, a big horse with a hand height advantage over his sire, proved a handful at first for the staff at Ballydoyle but their patience calmed his nervous disposition and he went through his juvenile season in 1969 unbeaten in five starts, winning the Railway, Anglesey, Beresford and Dewhurst Stakes. He won six of his eight starts at three and was twice runner-up. His wins included the English 2000 Guineas, Derby and St Leger (3YO Triple Crown, the first in 35 years), the Irish Derby and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

  He was syndicated for stud duties at a record $US5.44m (32 shares at $170,000) and stood all his life at Claiborne Farm where he was an immediate success (Champion First Crop Sire of Britain) and left 151SW (31.3% of runners) among 350 winners from 482 starters (72.6%) of $42.4m. His 34 Gr.1 winners also include Sky Classic, Ferdinand, Lammtarra, Niniski, Green Dancer, Ile de Bourbon, Caerleon and Sharastani. Two of his early sire sons were Australian-based Whiskey Road (sire of champion Strawberry Road) and Yeats (sire of Our Poetic Prince), while terrific WA-based sire Bletchley Park is a son of Caerleon and another WA-based sire Ihtiram, the sire of champion sprinter Miss Andretti, is by Royal Academy.

  Royal Academy entered stud in 1991 in Ireland and first shuttled to Australia for Coolmore in 1994 (he is now in honourable retirement at Jerrys Plains) and also shuttled to Brazil (where he was an outstanding success) and Japan. From 2179 named foals, 1785 have started and 1176 have won (65.9% of starters). He has 157 stakes winners (8.7%), 21 at Gr.1 level and progeny earnings of $135.6m.

  Known principally as a sire of sprinters/milers (with an occasional stayer), his best runners include US-bred HK sprint star Bullish Luck (10 wins and more than $7m), Oscar Schindler, Brazilian bred stars like Heroi da Bafra, Express Way, Top Hat, Movie Star, Naughty Rafaela, Macbeth and Durban Thunder; Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Val Royal (FR), locally bred Kenwood Melody (dam by Bletchingly) and Serious Speed (Kendor) along with Zalaiyka, Ali-Royal, Carmine Lake and Lavery. His daughters have left five Gr.1 winners among 79 stakes winners and their 856 winners have earned $85.7m. The Gr.1 winners include boom young sire Fastnet Rock (Danehill), Heart of Dreams (Show a Heart), Finsceal Beo (Mr Greeley) and Rule of Law (Kingmambo).

  Bel Esprit’s dam Bespoken started three times and is by Golden Slipper winner Vain (Wilkes), winner of 12 of his 14 starts and runner-up twice. He also counted the Champagne Stakes, Maribyrnong Plate, Debutant Stakes, Merson Cooper Stakes and VRC Sires’ Produce among six wins at two and the following season he won the George Adams Handicap, Craven A Stakes, Ascot Vale Stakes, Caulfield Guineas and Linlithgow Stakes. His 12 wins came at distances from 900m-1600m and he was Champion 2YO and Champion 3YO of Australia before retiring to Widden Stud in 1970 where he became Champion Sire, twice Champion Sire of Juveniles and leaving 46 stakes winners among winners of $10m.

  He is also a Champion Sire of Broodmares, with his daughters leaving 98 stakes winners including Chief de Beers, Golden Sword, Centro, Kenvain, Keltrice, Jetball, Centaine, Marwina and Ideal Planet. Inbreeding to Vain has proved a winning move using Bel Esprit for example Bel Mer and her brother Mooring have Vain 3fx4m (the other line via his son, Golden Slipper winner Sir Dapper), while Belcentra has Vain 3fx4f (second line via Rainbeam, dam of Centaine) and Black Caviar has Vain 3fx4f (second line through Song of Norway). Another interesting inbreeding is apparent in Bel Esprit’s latest stakes winner Peach Tree, whose dam is by Naturalism, a grandson of The Minstrel. This gives the three-quarter brothers Nijinsky and The Minstrel 3×4.

  Although she has produced seven winners, none of Bespoken’s other winners approach the class of Bel Esprit, the best being city winner Hashasan (Fusaichi Pegasus). Bespoken’s dam Vin d’Amour (by the Silly Season horse Adios II) won four races (1000m-1400m) including the Manawatu Sires’ Produce-Gr.1 and Matamata Breeders’ Stakes-Gr.2 and she left two winners from five named foals including the Biscay filly Mahaasin, who also won the Blue Diamond Stakes-Gr.1 at two. Vin d’Amour is a half-sister to NZ Gr.2 winner Secret Seal (Imperial Seal) and they are from Gliteren (Final Orders-Sunny Gold by Kurdistan). Bel Esprit has Nearco 5mx6m, Hyperion 6fx6m and Menow (by Hyperion’s half-brother Pharamond) 5f,5fx6m. This is family 34, and this branch came to the antipodes with the importation of Cassia (Sweetmeat-Lady Fanny by Humphrey Clinker) in the 1860s and notable runners include VRC Derby winner Omnicorp (Grosvenor) and VRC St Leger winner Agena (Agricola).

  While Bel Esprit has worked especially well with Vain mares, inbreeding to Nijinsky’s relatives The Minstrel and Storm Bird (especially via Storm Cat, who is from the same family as Royal Academy) should prove effective, and daughters of Choisir look extremely appealing as he is from the Danehill line and his dam is by Lunchtime (Silly Season/Menow) and second dam is by Biscay (who has already thrown a Gr.1 winner to Bel Esprit’s family and whose son Bletchingly is the sire of the second dam of Bel Mer). Snippets (by Lunchtime) has already worked well with Bel Esprit and mares by Sir Tristram and his sons (particularly Marauding, whose dam is by Biscay) and Star Way (both sires trace to Selene, dam of Hyperion and Pharamond) also look a good bet.

Tags: Bluebloods, Eliza Park Stud
Permalink| Aug 16, 2010

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