First Australian Winner for Belardo

Having his fourth career start, the David Payne-trained Tympanist (Belardo-Anaween, by More Than Ready) appreciated the wet track conditions on Tuesday at Hawkesbury when the gelding became the first Australian winner for Haunui Farm's Champion 2YO Colt Belardo (Lope de Vega). Jumping away well from the barriers, apprentice jockey Tyler Schiller settled the $95,000 Magic Millions Yearling Sale graduate handy on the fence in fourth position and when the field headed for home and the leaders fanned out wide, the rider took the opportunity to push his mount through a gap, taking the lead and holding off all challengers for a 1.25-length victory from the well-bred Vyner (Snitzel-Valdemoro, by Encosta de Lago). Having produced three individual winners in New Zealand already from his first southern hemisphere crop, on top of Tympanist, Gr1 Lockinge Stakes winner Belardo has been represented by numerous stakes winners in the northern hemisphere including the Gr2 winner Isabella Giles.

Belardo is the sire of Hawkesbury winner Tympanist (pic: Trish Dunell)