Success lives here

At Royal Randwick on day one of The Championships, Coolmore's Triple Crown winning Champion 2YO Pierro (Lonhro-Miss Right Note, by Daylami) celebrated an elite race success when 3YO Australian-bred colt Levendi (Pierro-Lipari, by Redoute's Choice) claimed the biggest prize of his career when charging home from midfield to prevail in a head-bobbing finish in the $2 million Gr1 Australian Derby (2400m) for 3YOs, defeating Ace High & Tangled. Levendi, who has always been highly regarded by connections, advanced his record to 5 wins (including the Gr2 Tulloch Stakes & Gr3 Carbine Club Stakes) and 1 placing (the Gr2 MVRC Alister Clark Stakes) from 10 starts for $1,653,950 in earnings. Purchased by Manny Gelagotis for $140,000 at the 2016 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale from the draft of Widden Stud, Levendi is out of a daughter of Gr1 Australasian Oaks winner Tully Thunder and hails from the family of Australian Derby winner Roman Emperor, North American Gr1 winner Black Mamba, Gr2 winner Fleur De Chine and Gr3 winner Sneetch. Moe-based trainer Peter Gelagotis was delighted with the win. "We've all started from humble beginnings and you get given opportunities in life when you've got the guts and determination to take them," he told Sky Racing. "He has the right breeding to be a stayer and it's just great to have a horse like him in the stable. He was always travelling well and you could see he was going to let down and be in the finish."