Progeny of Haunui Farm shuttle stallion Belardo have made an impressive start to their careers as racing resumes in Europe.
His juveniles are just hitting the track and are showing early promise, recording their sire’s first two victories this week.
Golden Melody became Belardo’s first winner when taking out her 1200m event by 2-1/4 lengths at Haydock, in England, while Got Luck was just as notable when winning by a length on debut over 1300m at Craon, in France.
“It is always nice to get winners and especially on debut,” Haunui Farm managing director Mark Chitty said.
“He has had a couple this week, so it’s a great way to start. Getting winners in June, it’s fantastic.
“It’s just exciting to have racing back and for some horses to come out and show some early form. It gives people some confidence.”
Belardo is set to return to Haunui Farm this coming breeding season where he will stand for a fee of $10,000+gst, however, he will make a later arrival than normal as a result of stringent quarantine measures.
“The shuttle stallions are quarantining in Melbourne this year. He is due here mid-August, which is a little bit later than normal,” Chitty said.
Belardo will be joined this coming season by four-time Group One winner Ribchester, who will take the place of his sire Iffraaj on Haunui Farm’s stallion roster.
“We are very lucky to be standing Ribchester,” Chitty said. “We have had a long relationship with Darley.
“To bring a horse of that calibre, with a 129 timeform rating, who performed at the highest level in Europe, we are indebted to them. Hopefully we will get the support from New Zealand breeders.”
While Chitty is looking forward to the forthcoming breeding season, he is excited to be offering eight weanlings through New Zealand Bloodstocks National Weanling Sale on plus.gavelhouse.com this week.
Chitty believes all eight weanlings are nice types, but he is particularly excited about the prospects of lot 10, the Belardo half-brother to Karaka Million (1200m) winner Hardline.
“We have got eight nice weanlings in there by a variety of stallions out of older but proven mares,” he said.
“They are all good types. We picked them out specifically. We have often sold weanlings nicely and people have had a good pinhooking results, like with Hardline, he was a good pinhooking result and then a good racing result.
“He ticked both boxes. It always pays to have a look at our weanlings that we are putting up for a sale like that.”
For the first time the sale has moved online and Chitty said it is an avenue is operation will look to utilise further into the future, particularly with a premium offering through plus.gavelhouse.com.
“It is obviously in different circumstances this year with it all being online. It might be part of the future the way that we sell some of our horses going forward,” Chitty said.
“At this stage we have used gavelhouse more for clearing of stock. It has not been so much about price, but reducing peoples costs. By having a regular fortnightly sale, that has been a good option for people.
“The development of the sale in New Zealand to start to get a bit of premium, that’s a bit harder, and it is quite different.
“It has started and I am sure it will grow with the new generation of people that get involved in our industry.”
