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Belardo (GB) (Lope De Vega) is still some way off having runners at Royal Ascot with his first foals arriving this season however, results of the last week have only enhanced his appeal to breeders in both hemispheres as the success of his sireline continues to go from strength to strength.
Grandsire Shamardal (USA) (Giant’s Causeway) landed one of the most coveted events of Royal Ascot, the Group One Kings Stand Stakes with Godolphin’s Blue Point (Ire) (Shamardal) taking the honours, whilst he also claimed the Group Two Duke Of Cambridge Stakes with Aljazzi (Ire) (Shamardal) later in the week.
And whilst results didn’t go his way at Royal Ascot, Belardo’s sire Lope De Vega (Ire) (Shamardal) ended the week with dual hemisphere stakes success, the most significant being the win of Divine Unicorn in the G3 Tattersall’s Cup on the penultimate day of the Queensland Carnival, taking his tally of stakes winners to 41.
Since announcing Belardo to stand at Haunui Farm last season, Lope De Vega’s star has been on a steady rise with Southern Hemisphere results including dual G1 successes for Vega Magic and Santa Ana Lane, two stakes winning 2YO fillies in New Zealand – Spanish Whisper and Rubira – and a total of 12 stakes performers in Australasia alone.
Belardo is the only son of Lope De Vega at stud in Australasia and with his first foals arriving in 2018, he will return to Haunui at a fee of $12,000 + GST.