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First stakes winner for Haunui Farm shuttler Belardo
Haunui Farm shuttler Belardo (Lope De Vega) etched his first stakes winner on to his stallion record as the Clive Cox-trained Isabella Giles (2 f ex Majestic Dubawi by Dubawi) produced a magical performance to take out the Prestige Stakes (Gr 3, 6f) at Goodwood on Saturday.
The two-year-old filly landed her first two career starts and was last seen running fourth in the Princess Margaret Stakes (Gr 3, 6f) at Ascot in July, signalling she was not out of her depth in stakes company and she proved she was stakes class when beating Prado (Iffraaj) by an emphatic seven lengths. Seattle Rock (Fastnet Rock) was another neck back in third.
After the race the filly earned quotes from bookmakers for the next year’s 1,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) at Newmarket and Cox hailed her an ‘exciting filly’.
“She has been pleasing all the way,” said Cox. “We were looking forward to stepping up a furlong as well. Clearly the progeny of Belardo have no difficulty with the soft ground. She has got a lovely nature, we really like her and that was great.
“She has coped with the ground today and I think another furlong would be well within her compass next year. She is an exciting filly.
“She is a really nice filly and I’m thrilled she has shown it on the track as she is very laid back at home, but clearly she knows what it’s about when she goes racing.”
Bred by Ballylinch Stud - who stand Belardo’s sire Lope De Vega (Shamardal), the filly was purchased by Kevin Ross Bloodstock for €45,000 at the 2019 Goffs Ireland Sportsman's Yearling Sale and she is out of Group 3-winning Dubawi (Dubai Millennium) mare Majestic Dubawi, making her a half-sister to Listed scorer Majestic Colt (Clodovil).
Further back this is the family of Group 3 winner Lope Y Fernandez (Lope De Vega), who finished third behind Siskin (First Defence) in the Irish 2,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) in June.
Belardo has made a good start to his career as a stallion, siring seven first-crop winners, including Isabella Giles and the stallion will stand at Haunui Farm in New Zealand for a fee of NZ$10,000 in 2020.
Three wins from four starts!
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 29, 2020
Isabella Giles (Belardo) has a really likeable attitude and powers to Group 3 honours as an excellent campaign for Clive Cox and his juveniles continues @Goodwood_Races
Results & free replays https://t.co/sBcsavHpYf pic.twitter.com/EUjrv7sb4R
