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Haunui Farm shuttler Belardo sires second stakes winner

Haunui Farm shuttler Belardo (Lope De Vega) was handed his second first-crop stakes winner as his daughter Elysium (2 f ex Sonning Rose by Hawk Wing) prevailed in a close finish to land the Weld Park Stakes (Gr 3, 7f) at the Curragh on Sunday. 

The filly broke her maiden at her second start at Navan in June and then posted a third place finish in her next start and was last seen finishing second at Roscommon on August 18. 

After racing near the rear at the beginning of the contest, the filly showed a good turn of foot to beat Aunty Bridy (Camacho) by a length and a half, while Thinking Of You (American Pharoah) came home another three-quarters of a length back in third. 

Bought by her trainer for €15,000 at the Goffs Ireland Autumn Yearling and Mixed Sale, Elysium is out of the Listed placed mare Sonning Rose (Hawk Wing), who ran second in the Chesham Stakes (Listed, 7f) at Royal Ascot in 2010. 

She has now produced three winners from four foals to race and is a half-sister to the stakes placed trio Universo Star (Excellent Art), Vienna's Boy (Victory Note) and New Jersey (Statue Of Liberty).

Elysium joins Isabella Giles as the stallion’s other stakes winner, while his total winners count currently stands at seven. 

Winner of the Dewhurst Stakes (Gr 1, 7f) as a juvenile he raced on and won the Lockinge Stakes (Gr 1, 1m) at four. He is the only son of Lope De Vega (Shamardal) standing at stud in Australasia and he is being offered to breeders at a fee of NZ$10,000 (plus GST).

Elysium records her second career success after powering down the outside to win the Group 3 Weld Park Stakes for @wjlee24786 and @tuvastables pic.twitter.com/wYGd83sU7f

— The Curragh Racecourse (@curraghrace) September 27, 2020