(262) Blue Diamond Stakes-G1
Caulfield.
February 23. $1,000,000. 2YOs. SW. 1200m.
1. BEL ESPRIT (W Treloar 55.5) trainer: J
G Symons.
2. Brief Embrace (K McEvoy 53) ch f 2
Irgun (USA) - Tranquil Love, by Imperial Baron.
3. Pillaging (D Oliver 55.5) b g 2
Marauding (NZ) - Preview, by Kenmare (FR)
Short
neck. 1 len. 1m 9.23s. 14 strs.
BEL ESPRIT (34)
Bay colt
foaled 1999
Sold
2001 Classic Yearling Sale. Price: $9,000
Breeder:
Mr P Gunter, NSW.
Owners:
M J Duffy, K D Stern, B M Forrest, B J Donohoe, D C Cox, A P Donohoe &
K Sheedy.
Click here for Tesio pedigree
Werk
Nick Rating: B
GP
Inbreeding: Menow 5f, 5f x.
|
Age |
Starts |
Wins |
2nds |
3rds |
|
2 |
5 |
5 |
- |
- |
|
|
5 |
5 |
- |
- |
Sire: ROYAL ACADEMY (USA) - Bay 1987. European Champion 3YO Miler; 4
wins, £192,578 & $450,000, Breeders' Cup Mile-G1, July Cup-G1, Tetrarch
S-G3, 2d Irish 2000 Guineas-G1. Half-brother to PANCHO VILLA, TERLINGUA (dam of STORM CAT). To stud in Ireland & Australia in 1994. Shuttling
to Coolmore Stud, Jerrys Plains, NSW. Champion First Crop Sire in UK. Sire of
413 winners of $42.3 million - 65 SWs inc Group I winners SLEEPYTIME, OSCAR SCHINDLER, KENWOOD MELODY, CARMINE LAKE, ZALAIYKA,
CENTAINE, ALI-ROYAL, LAVERY, also QUAYS, SARSON TRAIL, BOLSHOI, PAINTER'S ROW,
EL MAIMOUN, ROYAL SUZUKA, IMPRESSIONIST, DERNIER CROISE, LUCIDO, TRUTH OR DARE,
EQUAL RIGHTS, FLAME OF ATHENS, SHARP POINT, VAL ROYAL, DARAYDALA, IHTIRAM,
HONOUR THE NAME, SHE'S ACADEMIC, REGAL KISS, ROYAL COURTSHIP, PHOENIX PARK, LADY
BELVEDERE, BEL ESPRIT, TEARS ROYAL, etc.
Dam
BESPOKEN (1990). Started 3 times.
Dam of 7 foals, 5 raced, 3 winners -
95 Te Akau Wine, b g by Kaapstad. 1 win at 2000m.
96 Miss Sacha (NZ), ch f by Kaapstad. 3 wins, 900m-1200m.
97 Prince Treasure, ch c by Kaapstad. Started 3 times in
Hong Kong.
98 Smartchat, ch f by Kaapstad. Placed.
99 BEL ESPRIT. 5 wins, 1000m-1200m, $943,000, MRC Blue Diamond S-G1,
VRC Maribyrnong P-G2, MRC Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G)-G3, Blue Diamond
Preview (C&G)-G3, MVRC St Albans S-LR.
00 (Unnamed) b/br f by Thunder Gulch (USA).
01 (Unnamed) b f by Orpen (USA).
2nd Dam
VIN D'AMOUR (NZ). 4 wins, 1000m-1400m, Manawatu Sires' Produce S-G1, Matamata Breeders'
S-G2, WRC Parkdale H, 2d WRC Evergreen Lodge S-G2, 3d Hawke's Bay Gold Trail S-G3,
Masterton Lowland S-G3. Dam of 5 foals, 4 raced, 2 winners -
MAHAASIN. 5
wins, $525,050, at 900m, 1200m, VATC Blue Diamond S-G1, Laurent-Perrier S-LR,
VRC Maribyrnong Trial S-LR, VATC Quezette Quality H, 2d VRC Edward Manifold
S-G2, VATC Blue Diamond Prelude-G3, Gold Coast Magic Million-RL, 3d STC
Reisling Slipper Trial-G2, 4th SAJC Lightning S-G3.
Palace Beat. 1 win at 1250m, STC
Rhodes H. Producer.
3rd Dam
GLITEREN. 5 wins, 1100m-1800m;
placed Flemington, Mowbray. From a half-sister to Sydney Wake. Dam of 5 named foals, all raced, 4 winners -
VIN D'AMOUR. See
above.
SECRET SEAL. 8
wins, $163,105, 1400m-2200m, Hawke's Bay Cup-G3, Ormond S-G3, Wanganui Tim
Rogers S-G3, Taranaki S-LR, Waikato T'bred Management P, 2d WRC H R Chalmers
S-LR, 3d WRC New Zealand St Leger-G1.
Cottonwood Queen. 1 win at 1150m.
Producer.
Wagtail. Started 8 times. Dam of -
Queen of Saxony. 7 wins, 1300m-2100m, WATC Welter H, Budget H, Rentokil H, Graduation S,
3d WATC Belmont Oaks-LR. Dam of -
KING OF SAXONY. 6 wins, $416,200, 1400m-2200m, WATC Perth Cup-G2, Melvista S-LR, Crown
Welter H, Jemoyn H, Green and Gold Quality H, 2d WATC Derby-G1, Sires' Produce
S-G3, Lindsay Rosenthal S-LR.
Red Ant. 8 wins, 1200m-1500m, WATC
Graduation S, 3 times.
Bel
Esprit is the first all-the-way winner since Paint (1996) and the first Gr.1
winner in more than a decade for Wayne (Smokey) Treloar. Norman Waymouth
advised Treloar to use the colt's speed, as he had done on Rancher in 1982 when
Unrocel Aura led him early. Bel Esprit was selected by his trainer John Symons
for his Mount Macedon team at the Sydney Classic, finding the Royal Academy son
in the draft of Baerami Lodge. It led to his becoming the second BD winner of
his family a dozen years after Biscay filly Mahaasin defied Canny Lad and Triscay.
Mahaasin is also from top rating juvenile Vin d'Amour as is Bel Esprit's dam.
Less than perfect legs meant that Bel Esprit cost just $9000 on his sire's 1998
fee of $32,500. Royal Academy yearlings averaged $70,000 last year.
Sent out
an even-money elect, Bel Esprit the first BD favourite to win since Lady Jakeo
and had to fight hard to carry his unbeaten record past the Diamond (to five
wins). Rancher came out of the Diamond with eight wins. Although fading
noticeably in the final 80m, he managed to hold out first crop Irgun daughter
Brief Embrace to be the fourth fastest BD winner. Bel Esprit's high-profile
owners include Kevin Sheedy, coach of leading Australian footy team, Essendon.
His coaching staff might have been asked to lend a hand to mend the colt gate
manners, after stewards banned him from further racing pending a satisfactory
barrier trial for delaying the start of the Diamond.