Haunui Farm shuttler Belardo brings up ninth first-crop winner
Haunui Farm shuttler Belardo (Lope De Vega) chalked up his ninth first-crop winner as his son Hale Bopp (2 c ex Emperors Pearl by Holy Roman Emperor) prevailed in a close finish to break his maiden over seven furlongs at Dundalk on Friday.
The Ger Lyons-trained two-year-old colt stayed on strongly all the way to the line to beat Charmed (Charm Spirit) by half a length with Bears Hug (Kodi Bear) finishing another neck away in third.
Hale Bopp was purchased by Gaelic Bloodstock for 80,000gns at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale from the Tally-Ho Stud draft in 2019, having been snapped up by the same operation for 44,000gns at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale from the Ringfort Stud draft the year before.
The two-year-old becomes the second winner out of nine time-winning Holy Roman Emperor (Danehill) mare Emperors Pearl, who is herself a daughter of Listed winner On The Nile (Sadler’s Wells).
One The Nile is a half-sister to dual Group 1 scorer Kutub (In The Wings), while she is also a sister to Listed scorer In The Limelight.
Belardo’s first crop of runners in the northern hemisphere include three stakes winners; Isabella Giles, Elysium and Lullaby Moon and he is currently covering his fourth book of mares in New Zealand at a fee of NZ$10,000 (plus GST).
Hale Bopp wins the opener at @DundalkStadium and gets off the mark at the second time of asking for @gerlyonsracing pic.twitter.com/k4eLkbp7QT
— Horse Racing Ireland (@HRIRacing) October 9, 2020
