We know how good a sire Lope de Vega is and his dual Group I winning son Belardo (IRE) looks like following in his footsteps, the Haunui Farm shuttler adding a new stakes-winner to his tally overnight when two year-old filly Elysium won the Group III Curragh Park Stakes (7f) in Ireland.
Trained by Noel Meade, Elysium raced cleat to win by a length and a half taking her overall record to two wins and two placings from five starts.
Elysium was bought for just 15,000 euros by her trainer from the Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale last year and is the best of three winners from stakes-placed Hawk Wing mare Sonning Rose.
Elysium is the second stakes-winner for Belardo joining Group II winning filly Isabella Giles, the young stallion already siring seven winners from 37 runners, four of those winners being stakes horses.
Belardo stands at Haunui Farm this spring at a fee of $10,000 and will have his first Australasian runners this season after his yearlings sold well this year fetching up to $210,000 at Karaka Book 1.