Belardo

Belardo (foaled 2 April 2012) is an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. A son of Lope de Vega, he is owned in partnership by Prince A. A. Faisal and Godolphin Racing and trained in Nemarket by Roger Varian. In 2014 he won two of his first four races, including the Washington Singer Stakes, before recording an upset victory in the Dewhurst Stakes. He was rated the best two-year-old to race in Europe that year. He failed to win as a three-year-old in 2015 but returned to winning form on his first start of 2016 with victory in the Listed Doncaster Mile Stakes and went on to take the Lockinge Stakes.

Belardo
Racing silks of
Prince A A Faisal and Godolphin
SireLope de Vega
GrandsireShamardal
DamDanakaya
DamsireDanehill
SexColt
Foaled2 April 2012[1]
CountryIreland
ColourBay
BreederBallylinch Stud
OwnerPrince A. A. Faisal
Godolphin Racing
TrainerRoger Varian
Record16: 5-2-1
Earnings£899,642
Major wins
Washington Singer Stakes (2014)
Dewhurst Stakes (2014)
Doncaster Mile Stakes (2016)
Lockinge Stakes (2016)
Awards
Top-rated European two-year-old (2014)
Last updated on 14 May 2016

Background

Belardo is a bay horse with a white blaze bred in Ireland by the County Kilkenny-based Ballylinch Stud. He is from the first crop of foals sired by the Prix du Jockey Club winner Lope de Vega: other foals from Lope de Vega's first crop included the winners of the Gran Criterium, Sirenia Stakes and Cornwallis Stakes.[2] Belardo's dam Danakaya won only one minor race but was placed in both the Lowther Stakes and the Cheveley Park Stakes.[3] As a descendant of the outstanding racemare Midget, she was distantly related to the 1000 Guineas winner Ma Biche.[4]

In August 2013, the yearling was sent to the Arqana Sale at Deauville where he was bought for €100,000 by Voute Sales Ltd[5] on behalf of the Saudi Prince A. A. Faisal. He was sent into training with Roger Varian at the Kremiln House stable at Newmarket, Suffolk.[6]

Racing career

2014: two-year-old season

In his first season, Belardo was ridden in all of his races by Andrea Atzeni who said at the end of the year "I've always liked him. When I first sat on him I said to Roger that he was one of the best two-year-olds I have ever sat on. When I sat on Kingston Hill, he never gave me this sort of feel."[7]

The colt made his racecourse debut at Great Yarmouth Racecourse on 26 June when he started 8/13 favourite for a maiden race over six furlongs. He raced close behind the leaders before moving forward to take the advantage inside the final furlong and went clear in the closing stages to win "readily" by two and a quarter lengths from Heartbreak Hero and six others.[8] Two weeks leader, the colt was moved up sharply in class to contest the Group Two July Stakes at Newmarket Racecourse. Starting the 5/1 second favorite in a field of twelve, he was close behind the leaders for most of the way but was unable to make progress in the final furlong and finished fourth behind Ivawood, Jungle Cat and Muhaarar. Belardo was dropped back to Listed class for the Washington Singer Stakes over seven furlongs at Newbury Racecourse on 16 August. Racing on softer ground, he started 5/4 favourite and won by three and three quarter lengths from Hawkesbury, after accelerating clear of his opponents in the final furlong.[9]

On 13 September at Doncaster Racecourse, Belardo contested the Group Two Champagne Stakes over seven furlongs on good ground and started 3/1 second favourite behind Estidhkaar, a Richard Hannon Jr.-trained colt who had won the Superlative Stakes. He raced in second place but failed to quicken in the closing stages and finished fourth behind Estidhkaar, War Envoy and Aces. Varian later said "He was too fresh... He raced too keen. He raced free for three furlongs and then it turned into a sprint... Andrea was very disappointed".[10] On his final appearance of the season the colt was one of six colts to contest Britain's most prestigious race for two-year-olds, the seven-furlong Dewhurst Stakes, run on soft ground at Newmarket on 17 October. Wearing a hood for the first time he was the 10/1 outsider of the field behind Estidhkaar, Smugglers Cove (Star Appeal Stakes), Maftool (Somerville Tattersall Stakes), Kodi Bear (Winfield Stakes) and Secret Brief (Tattersalls Millions 2-y-o Trophy). Atzeni restrained the colt at the rear of the field as Secret Brief made the running from Kodi Bear. When he moved forward in the final quarter mile he looked unlikely to obtain a clear run, but was then switched right and overtook Kodi Bear a furlong out. Belardo accelerated clear in the closing stages and won by two lengths from Kodi Bear with Smugglers Cove taking third ahead of Estidhkaar.[11] After the race, Varian said "This horse will have confidence going into the winter now. We will now have to dream about the 2000 Guineas. It's a lovely way to end the season... I don't think soft ground is essential but he obviously handles it and he has a very sharp turn of foot, which he showed. He had to be brave and had to squeeze through a gap as well."[7]

Less than two weeks later, Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin Racing bought a majority share in Belardo. Sheikh Mohammed's bloodstock advisor John Ferguson called him "a lovely horse, full of quality".[6]

2015: three-year-old season

On 18 April, Belardo made his first appearance as a three-year-old in the Greenham Stakes over seven furlongs on fast ground at Newbury. Ridden by James Doyle he started the 7/1 third choice in the betting but never looked likely to win and finished eighth of the nine runners behind Muhaarar. On softer ground in the Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh Racecourse on 23 May the colt produced a much better effort to finish fourth of the eleven runners behind Gleneagles, beaten less than two lengths by the winner. In this he was re-equipped with the hood which he had not worn at Newbury. His next three runs were disappointing as he finished unplaced in the Sussex Stakes, the Prix Jacques Le Marois and the Haydock Sprint Cup. He was dropped to Group Two class for the Challenge Stakes at Newmarket on 7 October and finished third, beaten a neck and half a length by Cable Bay and Breton Rock. Ten days later he started a 33/1 outsider for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot. Ridden by Doyle, he produced his best performance of the season, coming from well off the pace to take second place, three quarters of a length behind Solow, with Gleneagles, Kodi Bear, Integral and Elm Park among the beaten horses. Varian commented "I'm delighted the horse has reminded us what a talent he was this time last year. He has turned up and put up a high-level performance again. The horse has made a case for staying in training.".[12]

2016: four-year-old season

Belardo began his third season with a win in the Listed Doncaster Mile on 2 April but then finished only fourth behind Toormore when favourite for the Bet365 Mile at Sandown on 22 April. On 14 May Belardo was one of twelve horses to contest the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury Racecourse in which his opponents included Toormore, Euro Charline (Beverly D. Stakes), Limato (Park Stakes), Kodi Bear (Celebration Mile), Dutch Connection (Jersey Stakes) and Gabrial (Lincoln Handicap). Starting at odds of 8/1 he produced a strong late run up the centre of the course to win by a length from Euro Charline with the Irish challenger Endless Drama a neck away in third.

At Royal Ascot Belardo started 9/2 joint-favourite for the Queen Anne Stakes. He proved the best of the European-trained runners but was beaten half a length into second place by the American mare Tepin. He did not race again and was retired at the end of the year.

Assessment and honours

In the International Classification for 2014, Belardo was rated the best two-year-old to have raced in Europe that season with a rating of 119, one pound ahead of the Middle Park Stakes winner Charming Thought and two ahead of the Racing Post Trophy winner Elm Park and the leading fillies Tiggy Wiggy and Found. The Cartier Award winner Gleneagles was a further pound back on 116.[13]

Stud record

Belardo began his career as a breeding stallion at the Kildangan Stud. In his first season he sired the Group race winners Isabella Giles (Rockfel Stakes), Elysium (Weld Park Stakes) and Lullaby Moon (Prix Miesque).[14]

Pedigree
Pedigree of Belardo (IRE), bay colt, 2012[1]
Sire
Lope de Vega (IRE)
2007		 Shamardal (USA)
2002		 Giant's Causeway Storm Cat
Mariah's Storm
Helsinki Machiavellian
Helen Street
Lady Vettori (GB)
1997		 Vettori Machiavellian
Air Distingue
Lady Golconda Kendor
Lady Sharp
Dam
Danaskaya (IRE)
2000		 Danehill (USA)
1986		 Danzig Northern Dancer
Pas de Nom
Razyana His Majesty
Spring Adieu
Majinskaya (FR)
1994		 Marignon Blushing Groom
Madelia
Makarova Nijinsky
Midou (Family: 1-u)[4]
  • Through his sire, Lope de Vega, Belardo is inbred 4 × 4 to Machiavellian, meaning that this stallion appears twice in the fourth generation of his pedigree.
  • Belardo currently serves mares in New Zealand for Haunui Farm and has his first crop of New Zealand born foals arriving in the 2018 season.

References
  1. "Belardo pedigree". Equineline.
  2. "Lope De Vega – Stud Record". Racing Post.
  3. "Danaskaya – Record By Race Type". Racing Post.
  4. "Maid of the Glen – Family 1-u". Thoroughbred Bloodlines.
  5. "Arqana Deauville August Yearlings 2013". Racing Post. Archived from the original on 23 January 2015.
  6. "Goldophin buy majority stake in Dewhurst winner Belardo". The National (Abu Dhabi). Reuters.
  7. "Belardo the brave seals Dewhurst Stakes success". Cambridge News. Archived from the original on 23 January 2015. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  8. "Haven Seashore at Great Yarmouth Maiden Stakes result". Racing Post. 26 June 2014.
  9. "Washington Singer Stakes result". Racing Post. 16 August 2014.
  10. Marcus Armytage (17 October 2014). "Belardo swoops in Dewhurst Stakes to fire dreams of further Classic glory for Roger Varian". The Daily Telegraph.
  11. "Dewhurst Stakes result". Racing Post. 17 October 2014.
  12. Stuart Riley (17 October 2015). "Solow routs QEII field as Gleneagles flops". Racing Post. Archived from the original on 24 December 2015.
  13. Lee Mottershead. "Dewhurst winner Belardo champion two year old". Racing Post. Archived from the original on 23 January 2015. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  14. Thomas, James (26 December 2020). "From young guns to sires on fire: hunting out value among the 2021 covering fees". Racing Post.

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