BELARDO (IRE) (Lope De Vega), is among Europe’s leading first season sires and increased his tally of stakes winners to four overnight when his unbeaten son BELLOCCIO took out the Grand Criterium du Languedoc over a mile at Toulouse.
Travelling close to the speed throughout, BELLOCCIO quickly responded when asked the question by Olivier Peslier and ran out to a length-and-a-quarter margin at the line.
BELARDO’s three other stakes winners are the Group winning fillies ISABELLA GILES (G2 Rockfel Stakes and G3 Prestige Stakes), LULLABY MOON (G3 Prix Miesque and Listed 2YO Trophy) and ELYSIUM (G3 Park Stakes).
On the home front, BELARDO will be represented by Avonallo and Roussanne in the Listed Frantic Bloodstock Welcome Stakes at Riccarton on Saturday. Both have been placed in their first two starts with both likely to relish the step up in distance to 1000m.
NZB's Ready-to-Run Sale is set to take place next week and BELARDO has six 2YO's set to go through the ring. Two of those, Lots 65 and 278, were born and raised at Haunui and have been through the Haunui Farm breaking-in system overseen by Lilywhites Lodge's Derek Nolan. Given the start BELARDO has made in the North with both colts and fillies, they are sure to be well inspected.
BELARDO is on track to serve another book of over 100 mares at Haunui Farm in his fourth season at a fee of $10,000 + GST, ensuring that he will continue to have the numbers on the ground to create an impact. He is set to return to his Northern Hemisphere base at Darley’s Kildangan Stud in December where he is sure to be in hot demand.
