Bel Esprit Sprinter Wins Takeover Target

Tara Madgwick - Thursday January 17
Sun Stud's evergreen sire Bel Esprit featured at Gosford on Thursday when the Australian Bloodstock colours were carried to victory in the $150,000 Listed Takeover Target Stakes by Tactical Advantage.




A Gooree Stud homebred that was purchased by Australian Bloodstock last year, Tactical Advantage (images Steve Hart) has been in good form since joining the stable of Kris Lees .

Tactical Advantage returns a winner!

Tactical Advantage returns a winner!

He won three of his first four starts for his new trainer and was last seen finishing sixth in a Listed race at Doomben on December 29.

Ridden quietly off the pace in this 1200 metre sprint by Brenton Avdulla, Tactical Advantage zoomed to the line to beat the favourite Easy Eddie by a long head.

"The second horse took some running down so it was a good effort," said Kris Lees.

"It's really good to win a stakes race with him. He has a great bunch of owners.

"He can have a little break now, he's done a good job."

The 25th stakes-winner for Bel Esprit, Tactical Advantage has the overall record of nine wins and seven placings from 21 starts with prizemoney topping $550,000.

Tactical Advantage is the best of four winners from Group III placed Encosta de Lago mare Above Perfection, a daughter of stakes-winner Actress from the family of Gooree Stud's Group I winners Desert War, Laser Hawk and Romantic Touch.

Above Perfection has a yearling filly by Artie Schiller (USA), a colt foal by Shalaa (IRE) and was covered last spring by the Gooree Stud bred Smart Missile.

Black Caviar's sire Bel Esprit turns 20 this year and returned to Victoria last year for Sun Stud where he was welcomed warmly covering 95 mares at a fee of $11,000.





Advertisment
More Reading...
A Victory for the Locals in Seymour Cup
The Japanese-breds have been having the time of their lives in Australia of late so when Damian Lane drove A Shin Rook (JPN) through on the rails in Sunday’s $200,000 Listed Seymour Cup (1600m0 it looked a matter of here we go again but this one was destined to be a local victory.
Stakes Treble for I Am Invincible
Reigning champion sire I Am Invincible had a seven winner Saturday and three of those winners were stakes-winners with Vinrock (2YO colt)and Enriched (3YO colt) joined later in the day by the Godolphin homebred mare Commemorative, who scored a dominant win in the Group III ATC Wenona Girl Stakes (1200m) at Randwick.
Twenty-Sixth Stakes Winner for Bel Esprit
The 5-year-old Bel Esprit mare Belwazi made her first stakes attempt a winning one in Saturday’s Listed Kensington Stakes at Flemington and in the process provided a welcome to Victoria for the champion South Australian jockey Jamie Kah.
Second Stakes for Bel Esprit's Tactical Advantage
If Australian Bloodstock was disappointed with the performance of their colour-bearer Mustajeer (GB) in the Melbourne Cup it didn’t take long to bounce back with the Bel Esprit gelding Tactical Advantage breaking a run of outs in the Listed MSS Security Sprint (1200m) at Flemington.
Sires With Winners - Saturday March 8
Here is the full list of 106 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Another Ton For Bel
Sun Stud’s perennial champ, Bel Esprit has again notched up 100 individual winners for the season with promising 3YO, Ashrad, leading throughout to notch up his maiden win at Wangaratta on Sunday.
Cambridge Stud Thrilled with Joliestar Newmarket Victory
Cambridge Stud-owned sprinting mare Joliestar proved she is among the best of Australia’s sprinters with an outstanding performance to win Saturday’s A$1.5 million Gr.1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington.
Shalaa's Jennilala Wins G3 Matron For New Trainer
Woodside Park’s Shalaa produced his fifth stakes winner of the season when Jennilala produced a tough performance to win the Group III Matron Stakes (1600m) at Flemington for her new trainer.
Zoustar Mare Wins G1 Newmarket for Cambridge Stud
A troubled third when resuming from a spell in the Group II ATC Expressway Stakes in Sydney last month, super talented Zoustar mare Joliestar put that form behind her when powering to victory in the $1.5million Group I VRC Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington on Saturday.
26th Stakes Winner for Smart Missile with Triple Missile
Twin Hills Stud’s super consistent Smart Missile produced his 26th stakes winner on Saturday when Triple Missile won the Listed Bunbury Stakes (1400m).