BC RELATIONS AMONG 25 BY BE

Brian Russell reports on the 2013 Melbourne Premier …

There are 25 yearlings by Bel Esprit, the former top notch Australian 2 and 3-year-old standing at Lee Fleming’s powerhouse Eliza Park stud at Kerrie, Victoria who is sire not only of still racing immortal Black Caviar, but one who has had over a hundred winners (four stakes winners) and $3.7million so far in Australia this season.

He leads Australia by winners and wins and is seventh by earnings on both the general and juvenile lists.

His continuing consistency as Victoria’s leading sire suggests all his Melbourne yearling are worthy of high interest from buyers. Two of the Bel Esprit colts, both listed to be submitted on the third day, have added appeal as they are not only by the same sire as Black Caviar, but they are related through their dams.

The first of them, lot 430, is the first living foal of Hypatia, a daughter of Distant Music (USA) (Group1 England 2yo winner by son of Mr. Prospector) and Danavia, a three-quarter sister by Danehill to Magnus (AJC Galaxy winner standing at Eliza Park) and half-sister to the dam of Black Caviar.

The other Bel Esprit related to Black Caviar, lot 519, is a half-brother to three winners it is from the Western Symphony STC Winter Cup winner and Tasmanian Oaks second Midnight Sun, a half-sister to Scandinavia, dam of Magnus and grandam of Black Caviar and All Too Hard.

Dorrington also have yearling, a colt listed (lot 518) by Pentire (GB) which is the first foal of Midnight Blues, a Melbourne winner by Distant Music and out of Midnight Sun, but it is one of the sixty yearlings under Eliza Park, the biggest consignors.

Eight are by Bel Esprit and five by Magnus, the half-brother to the dam of Black Caviar and All Too Hard standing at Eliza Park, a stud which stood 14 sires in 2012, 11 in Victoria and three in Queensland. Seven who have representation in the Melbourne catalogue are Bel Esprit (25), Magnus (19), Astronomer Royal (USA) (12), Bushranger (IRE) (3), Statue of Liberty (USA) (21), Wanted (21) and Written Tycoon (12),

Bushranger, a Group 1 winner in England and France at two by the Danehill sire Danetime (FR), and Wanted, a Fastnet Rock VRC Newmarket winner, supply first crop yearlings. Wanted had 179 mares last season.

Yearlings in the big selection from Eliza Park also includes progeny of Hidden Dragon, Rock of Gibraltar (IRE), Encosta de Lago, High Chaparral (IRE), Sebring, Exceed and Excel, Duke of Marmalade (IRE), Flying Spur, O’Reilly, Savabeel, Commands, Tale of the Cat (USA), New Approach (IRE) and Holy Roman Emperor (IRE).