The rise of Pierro as a future super sire and the service fee announcement this week for his first son to stud Pierata got us thinking as to the whereabouts of his first Group I winning colt Levendi.
From the first crop of Pierro, as is Pierata, Levendi is trained in Victoria by Peter Gelagotis.
Levendi was a brilliant winner at his only start as a juvenile at Ballarat over 1200m in June and then quickly showed his class as a spring three year-old winning the Group III VRC Carbine Club Stakes (1600m).
In the autumn, Levendi took another step forward winning the Group II ATC Tulloch Stakes (2000m) and then the Group I ATC Australian Derby (2400m) beating Ace High with New Zealand Derby winner Vin de Dance a distant fourth.
“Since then he’s had some well documented serious issues with bone chip surgery after his Derby win and then a fractured pelvis the following autumn, although when he came back to work for his current campaign we’d been really happy with him,” said Manny Gelagotis, bloodstock manager for his brother Peter.
“His first up run was good and while the run at his next start in the Peter Young was below par he came out of that with a lung infection.
“We still came to Sydney for the Ranvet and Queen Elizabeth as he was working well subsequently, but then he picked up a virus, so that was the end of his autumn campaign and with spring around the corner we are now considering our options given his stallion potential.”
A winner of over $1.6 million in prizemoney, Levendi was purchased from the Magic Millions by Manny Gelagotis for $140,000 in 2016, but a lot has happened on his pedigree page since then.
His dam Lipari has emerged as a blue hen with her first three foals now all Group winners with Levendi bookended by Group III ATC Premier’s Cup winner Wu Gok and Group III SAJC National Stakes winner Marcel from Madrid.
Her next two yearlings have sold for $500,000 and $550,000 and Lipari herself was sold at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale last year with Gerry Harvey purchasing her for $1.6million to add to his Baramul Stud broodmare band.
She produced a colt by I Am Invincible last spring and is back in foal to Yarraman Park’s champion sire.
“His female pedigree has gone through the roof and his sire Pierro will stand for $137,500 this spring, so Levendi has a lot to offer in comparison to some of the other new horses retiring to stud this year,” said Manny Gelagotis.
“He’s one of three Group I winners bred on the extremely potent Pierro x Redoute’s Choice cross that runs at 20% stakes-winners to runners and is the only colt, so he really brings together the very best of Australian bloodlines.”
Other horses bred on this nick include Group I winners Arcadia Queen, Regal Power and Hong Kong Derby winner Furore, while the Karaka sale topper this year is also bred this way.
Levendi is sound to continue racing as a six year-old, however the Gelagotis brothers have had interest from several New Zealand studs and are open to stud offers that may give Levendi the opportunity he deserves as a blue-blooded Group I winner.
Manny Gelagotis can be contacted on 0403 377 764.
