BEL ESPRIT REACHES THE TON
Bel Esprit reached an important milestone with the victory of Baltic Spirit at Bairnsdale on Friday (26 June).
We thought it was winner # 99 for Bel Esprit, but turns out it was 100 individual winners up for the Champion Victorian Sire.
The one that slipped through to the keeper (aka Karl Patterson) was Hangang Ruby, a 3YO colt from the El Moxie mare Shirley’s Luvena, who won his only start at Busan in South Korea on 22 May 2009.
Formerly owned by Paul Crawford’s Real Time Investments and sold for $55,000 at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale in 2006, Shirley’s Luvena was exported to Korea and foaled down her Bel Esprit colt in the September.
Related to Group One winner Showmeran, this is the family of Group One winning juvenile Fully Fledged and multiple Group One placed Rouquin, while the colt is also a close blood relation of Schillaci Stakes-G2 winner Patpong (by Royal Academy).
‘Eagle Eye’ Patterson – whose Thoroughbred Express now appears on the aapracing.com.au website – rarely misses a trick and his stats reveal that Bel Esprit has now had winners in every country that his progeny has competed: i.e. Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, Hong Kong AND Korea.
Whichever way you look at it, it’s a remarkable tally for a stallion with only three crops of racing age.
He is a shoo in to win successive Victorian sires’ titles (some $500k clear of Reset), he’s 17th on the national chart by winners, and second on the Australian Third Season Sires’ table by winners (second behind Choisir but with a superior strike rate).
Below, courtesy of Karl Patterson, is the current tally of Bel Esprit winners
STAKES WINNERS
1 BEL MER
2 GABBIDON
3 BELCENTRA
4 BLACK CAVIAR
5 MOORING (Singapore)
6 VIVACIOUS SPIRIT
STAKES PLACED
7 Blue Sky (Aust & HK)
8 Royal Esprit
WINNERS
9 Alesprit
10 Anquetil
11 Apparitions
12 Apple Esprit
13 Aranda (Singapore)
14 Babieca Noire
15 Backabel
16 Baltic Spirit
17 Beau Esprit
18 Bel Amore
19 Bel Estar
20 Bel Said
21 Bel Shoes
22 Bel’s Empress (South Africa)
23 Belahina
24 Belcino
25 Bella Queen (NZ)
26 Bellagio Bel
27 Belle Pronto
28 Belle Society
29 Bells All Round
30 Belolly
31 Beltrois
32 Belvain
33 Bon Marche
34 Bondi Lad (HK)
35 Cardannic
36 Cascabel
37 Court Bell
38 Darwin
39 Dashing Spirit
40 Diplomatic Strike
41 Diva la Belle
42 Dreamy
43 Drifting Spirit
44 Ejercito
45 Esprit Citi
46 Esprit de Bullet
47 Esprit de Gain
48 Esprit de Roses
49 Esprit Lad
50 Esprit of Eve
51 Esprit Soleil
52 Forty Two Below
53 Galactic Spirit
54 Genuine Stunner
55 Hangang Ruby (Korea)
56 High Esprit
57 I’m Elite
58 Ibsen
59 John’s Gem
60 Khairesprit
61 La Bella Roo
62 Laura’s Spirit
63 Lotsa Grunt
64 Milakai
65 Music in the Park
66 Mythical Spirit
67 New Avenue
68 Outspoken Spirit
69 Perfect Sky (Singapore)
70 Pop Music
71 Princess Sparkle
72 Queen Esprit
73 Queen Rene
74 Regal Scout
75 Rich Esprit
76 Rich Forever
77 Saint Esprit
78 Sandhill Belle
79 Sandhill Pride
80 Seasonality
81 Seldom Sober
82 Silver Bullion
83 Snip Esprit
84 Sonic Spree
85 Spirit of Caplan
86 Spirited Halo
87 Spirited Hero
88 Spirits in the Sky
89 Stately Spirit
90 Stellesprit
91 Superior Shadow
92 Supreme Best
93 Targa Lady
94 Tassology
95 Thetoppie
96 Thirteenthknight
97 Tollesprit
98 Twin Spirit
99 Vigneron
100 Work the Room