TATURA TREATS

Saturday at Tatura was something of an Eliza Park ‘benefit’ with our stallions represented by four winners on the card, including a double to Bel Esprit.

Statue of Liberty’s nifty 2YO Radon – bred and part owned by RA Waldron – was first cab off the rank with a confident win in the opening race.

Out of the Centaine mare, Ton of Class, Radon was having only his second outing for trainer Colin Davies and appears to have a promising future.

In the second, it took a Bel Esprit to beat a Bel Esprit when Belolly edged out Beau Desert to win the 3YO Maiden.

Belolly (bred by Pinnacle Thoroughbreds) was sold to the astute Slade Bloodstock from the Eliza Park draft at the 2007 Gold Coast Magic Millions and she is from the stakesplaced Bluebird mare, Jolly’s Folly, a half sister to Flemington stakeswinner Jestarella Boy and sister to 2YO black typer La Bird. A real get up and go family, the granddam, Marwell Lady, was also a stakeswinner at two.

And Shane Nichols shouldn’t have to wait too long before snaring a win with Beau Desert (bred by Eliza Park) who was very promising, albeit in defeat.

Beau Desert has now earned money at three of four outings and is a half brother to Desert Sun gelding Real Time (7 wins) who took out the SAJC New Year’s Gift-LR and was four times stakes placed.

Out of the Straight Strike mare, Desert Strike, this is also the family of Wellington Cup-G1 winner Samasaan and multiple Group winner Temple Front.

Making it a three peat, Brian Cox’s Clangalang 3YO, Duplify absolutely blitzed them over the 1000m to take out race three (see separate article).

Eliza Park had to wait all of three races before grabbing winner No.4 on the program when Dennis Oliver’s Superior Shadow captured the 1400m Harcorp Trading Handicap in emphatic fashion.

The Bel Esprit 4YO was having his first run in six months and didn’t take long to shake off the rust.

Bred by Shane McGrath, Superior Shadow is out of the multiple stakesplaced Sackford mare, Something Wicked, a sister to dual Group One winner A Little Kiss.

It might not have been Eliza Park’s best ever day at the office, but to produce four winners on one program of racing – by three different stallions on our 2009 roster – is a very pleasing result and augurs well for the season ahead.