Belardo (Ire)

Every horse is a mystery. And a winner at 33-1 on its racecourse debut is a mystery that is partially disclosed, like in the case of Duke of Verona (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}), who came to win his maiden on 1-22-21 at Lingfield from very far behind--"from downtown", as a basketball pundit would have put it. But there is another little mystery: where does this name come from? Is there a connection among the horses in the pedigree? The investigation took a while. First line of inquiry: was there a Belardo...

Ralph Beckett trainee Lullaby Moon (GB) (Belardo {Ire) bagged two of her first three outings before hitting the board in Ayr's Sept. 19 G3 Firth of Clyde Fillies' S. and broke through for a first black-type success in Redcar's Oct. 3 Listed Two-Year-Old Trophy last time. Sent postward as the 11-10 odds for Saturday's G3 Prix Miesque at Chantilly, she overcame a troubled passage to justify favouritism and earn a career high in the seven-furlong contest. The eventual winner was swiftly into stride and on the lead early, but was...

The one-day Goffs UK Autumn Sale catalogue is now online. Set to begin at 10 a.m. at Doncaster on Oct. 22, the sale will be split into three portions: the Autumn Horses-in-Training Sale (lots 1-195), the Silver Yearling Sale (lots 196-254) and finally the Autumn Yearling Sale (lots 255-308). Jumpers primarily feature in the Autumn Horses-in-Training Sale, but there are a few Flat performers sprinkled in like the 89-rated two-time winner Confide (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) (lot 49) from Lodge Farm Stud. The Silver and Autumn Yearling Sales offer...

Runner-up to the subsequent G2 Beresford S. third Snapraeterea (Ire) (Buratino {Ire}) in an extended seven-furlong conditions event at Roscommon last time Aug. 18, The London Racing Partnership's Elysium (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}) stepped up to spring a surprise in Sunday's G3 Weld Park S. at The Curragh. In training with Noel Meade who is best known for his exploits in the jumping sphere, the 12-1 shot was held up in rear early by Billy Lee and when given the green light inside the final two furlongs swamped Aunty Bridy (Ire)...

Paul and Clare Rooney's Isabella Giles (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}) registered a pair of six-furlong wins--at Leicester in June and at Newbury in July--but lost her unbeaten tag when fourth in Ascot's July 26 G3 Princess Margaret S. before bouncing back to claim a first black-type score for her freshman sire (by Lope de Vega {Ire}) in Goodwood's Aug. 29 G3 Prestige S. when upped to seven furlongs last time. Aided by a strong tailwind over the same distance in Friday's G2 Shadwell Rockfel S. at Newmarket, the 11-5 chance continued...

Kildangan Stud's first-season sire Belardo (Ire) was off the mark in black-type company on Saturday as his daughter Isabella Giles (Ire) ran away with Goodwood's seven-furlong G3 Ladbrokes Prestige S. Sent off the 11-4 second favourite following her latest fourth in the G3 Princess Margaret S. over a furlong shorter at Ascot July 26, Paul and Clare Rooney's bay tracked the free-running Pomelo (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in second from the break. Staying in the centre of the straight as that 5-4 market-leader went stand's side, she was in front approaching...

Golden Melody (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}), a William Haggas-trained newcomer, became the first winner for her Kildangan Stud-based freshman sire (by Lope de Vega {Ire}) with a 2 1/4-length success over six furlongs at Haydock. 6th-Haydock, £6,400, Nov, 6-7, 2yo, f, 6fT, 1:15.03, g/s. GOLDEN MELODY (IRE) (f, 2, Belardo {Ire}--Chanter {GB}, by Lomitas {GB}) was well away to stalk the leaders in a handy fourth through halfway in this first go. Shaken up when angled into an open lane passing the quarter-mile marker, the 4-1 chance seized control approaching the...