CAVIAR NIGHT FOR ELIZA PARK

The MCG has been the scene of many a great triumph, but for Eliza Park it was, in a sense, it’s biggest night out.
Eliza Park almost made a clean sweep of the 2010/11 Victorian Owners and Breeders Awards when Bel Esprit (above) took out the Sirecam Champion Victorian Stallion and Written Tycoon (below) the Stable Financial First Season Sire.
And there was many a vicarious thrill to be had too with Black Caviar’s owners grabbing the TROA Metropolitan Owners gong, while Rick Jamieson’s Gilgai Farm snapped up the Stu-Art Graphics Champion Broodmare with Helsigne, which was bred and sold by Eliza Park.
What’s more, Eliza Park ‘smithy’ John Pittard was bestowed the Leading Small Breeder Award for ‘arranging’ triple Group One winner Yosei … an honour he shared with Tarcoola Stud (breeders of dual 10/11 Group One winner Sacred Choice).
The relevance of such awards cannot be understated: certainly the trophies look nice in the ‘pool room’, but it’s sobering to gauge the strides Eliza Park has made in a relatively short period.
In just over a decade, Eliza Park has now accepted four consecutive, record-equalling, Victorian Sires’ titles with Bel Esprit, coupled with Written Tycoon’s efforts, who not only captured the state First Season premiership, but the national one as well.
The first Eliza Park bred progeny had yet to race at the time the last Victorian based sire won the Australian First Season Sires’ title!
It has been a memorable season to say the least … Black Caviar’s run has bolstered Bel Esprit’s stock globally but it’s essential to note that the World’s Best Racehorse is just one of the champ’s 112 winners for 2010/11 … three seasons ago he finished 82nd on the national chart by winners – this time around he’s in seventh spot.
In 2009/10, Bel Esprit was 21st on the earnings table and this year seventh … less than $14k off fifth spot. Amazing when you think he had $7.082 million in progeny earnings overall.
And let’s not forget Statue of Liberty and Hay List, providing Eliza Park with bragging rights to not only the world’s best racehorse, but arguably the world’s best male sprinter too.

PS. Our heartiest congratulations to two other award winners as well in Robbie Griffiths (left) and Shelly Hancox.
Robbie has been an outstanding supporter of Eliza Park over the years and, as Bel Esprit blogger Brian Donohoe’s stats show, one of the most successful trainers of Bel progeny. Indeed, Robbie’s Bel Esprit runners include Beltrois, Baltic Spirit, Anquetil, Cascabel, Chatrang and Spirit of Pompeii and his tally is 19 wins overall for $727,691 in stakes.
There are few as popular and none more genuine than the Cranbourne based trainer and his Super VOBIS Trainer of the Year award was well deserved.
And full kudos to Shelly Hancox (and to her offsider Rod Peacock for that matter) for taking out the TROA’s Contribution to Ownership … in a career which has spanned 25 years and 567 syndicated horses, Shelly has introduced 6,500 people into racehorse ownership. Fantastic Shelly!