Australian Group One winner Great Timing for Haunui

Success in the thoroughbred industry is all about timing and, there couldn't have been a better time for Lope de Vega (Ire) (Shamardal) to sire his first Australian Group One winner given that 2017 will see his dual Group One-winner Belardo (Ire) standing his first Southern Hemisphere season at Haunui Farm.

Vega Magic (Aus) (Lope de Vega) honed his craft in West Australia before joining the Hayes/Dabernig team. Already a dual Group Three winner before changing camps, his first start from the Lindsay Park stable produced the ultimate result in the million dollar, Group One Darley Goodwood, with senior trainer David Hayes eyeing a spot in the world's richest race, the Everest.

Lope de Vega stood for three season's in Australia and from his three crops, has sired eight stakes performers and has an impressive 16% stakes performers to winners ratio.

Belardo holds the mantle as Lope de Vega's best performer to date winning the Group One Dewhurst Stakes at two and the Lockinge Stakes at four, and is the only stallion retired to stud in New Zealand so far in 2017, to boast Group One performances at two, three and four. Retired with a Timeform Rating of 126, he was rated the best male at last year's Royal Ascot meeting.

"When looking at Belardo as a stallion prospect, we did our homework on Lope de Vega and for a young stallion, he has some very good points on the board," said Haunui Farm's Mark Chitty. "His oldest progeny just five-year-olds and he's left four Group One winners already and his sire, Shamardal, has been a prolific stallion in both hemispheres," he said. "Before yesterday's result we were more than happy with where Belardo sits in the New Zealand stallion market and Vega Magic's performance at Morphetville is just the icing on the cake. If he gets the Everest, that's even better!"

"We have taken a number of partners on board to support Belardo at stud and I received some excited phone calls yesterday. Ardsley Stud, Chequers Stud, Goodwood Stud, Little Avondale, Milan Park, Trelawney Stud, Valachi Downs and, Wentwood Grange are all throwing their weight behind Belardo. It's a formula that has worked well for us in the past with the likes of Elusive City and Iffraaj so we're confident it will be successful again," said Mark.

Belardo will stand at Haunui Farm in 2017 at a fee of $12,000 + GST. For more information, please call Mark – 021 663 995 – or Shannon – 0212 855 513.