BEL ESPRIT was a grade one winning sprinter at two and three. By Royal Academy, one of the most outstanding sire sons of Nijinsky II, Bel Esprit has made an impressive start to his stud career.
Bel Esprit has sired two stakes winners, including the grade one winning filly, Bel Mer, out of a mare by At Talaq, a son of Roberto. Royal Academy also sired stakes winner out of mares descending from Roberto through Lear Fan (brother to Pirate Army) and Robellino. Bel Esprit should also work well with the Roberto line through Red Ransom (his son Charge Forward), Brocco, Prized and Touching Wood. From the same Hail to Reason line as Roberto, Royal Academy has sired three stakes winner out of mares descending from Halo, including a graded winner out of a mare by Don’t Say Halo. Halo might also work well through More Than Ready. Hail to Reason is by Turn-to, from whom descends Sir Tristram. Royal Academy has sired five stakes winners out of Sir Tristram line mares, with Marauding providing the dams of five of them.
Although he is from the Northern Dancer line, Bel Esprit has already sired several stakes winners when bred back mares from that sire line. Nijinsky does combine well in pedigrees with Danzig and from the Danzig branch this includes the brilliant Black Caviar out of a mare by Desert Sun (by Green Desert, sire of Volksraad, Cape Cross and Invincible Spirit) and Desert King (by Danehill). Particularly interesting sources of Danehill include Redoute’s Choice, Flying Spur, Danehill Dancer (and his son Choisir), Danewin and Commands.
Bel Esprit is also sire of graded stakes winner Gabbidon out of a mare by Scenic, a son of the Northern Dancer line stallion Sadler’s Wells. This suggests that he might work over other sources of Sadler’s Wells, such as Galileo, Montjeu and High Chaparral, and over mares by Encosta de Lago, who is by Sadler’s Wells’ brother, Fairy King. Royal Academy is a son of Nijinsky II, and has sired two stakes winners out of mares by The Minstrel (a three-parts-brother to Nijinsky II) and a graded stakes winner out of a mare by Palace Music (sire of Naturalism),which also suggests Bakharoff and Masterclass. A very similar pattern could be achieved with mares descending from Storm Bird. The Storm Cat branch (available through such as Hennessy, Johannesburg, Tale of the Cat, and Giant’s Causeway), would be particularly interesting as Storm Cat is a close relative to Royal Academy. This cross might also work through Bluebird and it would be worth looking at mares by Thunder Gulch, who has Storm Bird as his broodmare sire. Royal Academy has done well with Northern Dancer through Lyphard, and a good source in Australia might be Alzao. Bel Esprit has also sired a stakes winner out of a mare Noalcoholic (by Nonoalco, like Northern Dancer, as son of Nearctic).
From the Mr. Prospector line, Bel Esprit is sire of a stakes winner out of a mare by Straight Strike. Royal Academy has also done well with mares from this line, and has stakes winners out of mares by Miswaki (sire of Umatilla), Woodman, Bellotto, Geiger Counter, Unbridled (who could be brought in through Unbridled’s Song), Rhythm, and Gone West (who would work well through Zafonic and his son, Xaar) and the Seeking the Gold strain through Lujain and Secret Savings.
Bel Esprit is sire of graded winner Vivacious Spirit out of a mare by Snippets, and his stakes winner Belcentra is out of a mare by Centaine. He should be well worth trying with mares by Blushing Groom, who is good under Nijinsky II in general, and who is in the broodmare sire line of eight Royal Academy line stakes winners. Blushing Groom sources including Quest For Fame, Nassipour, and Pre Emptive Strike.
Although Vain – the broodmare sire of Bel Esprit – is not likely to be found very frequently in the male line of the broodmare population, we can note four of Bel Esprit’s stakes winners are inbred to that strain, and he is definitely worth bringing in when possible. On this basis mares by Kenvain and Keltrice which should be readily available in the local broodmare population do appeal.