Bel Esprit is basking in the reflected glory of his unbeaten sprinter Black Caviar and he has a massive crop of two year-olds ready to back-up the world champion mare.
Bel Esprit was responsible for a winning double on Wednesday with his juvenile fillies City Of Song (Sandown) and Bim Bom Bay (Ascot).
Australia’s current two year-olds were conceived during the Equine Infuenza (E.I) outbreak that rocked the breeding industry in 2007. Bel Esprit benefited from the restrictions that prevented Victorian based mares travelling to the Hunter Valley that spring. He covered 266 mares at Eliza Park that huge workload resulted in 198 live foals.
City Of Song (2f Bel Esprit – Songs Of Vienna by Umatilla) was a debut winner of the Race-Tech Hcp (1000m) around the Hillside circuit on Wednesday. She is trained by John Moloney for owner-breeder Colin Beggs.
Moloney and Beggs won the Listed Straight Six at Flemington with her dam Songs Of Vienna. They also won a Caulfield race with her older sister Music In The Park in April 2009.
“Music In The Park won at two but City Of Song has shown a lot more than her at the same time,” Moloney said. “She is going to keep improving and should get 1600m.”
Later in the day, Bim Bom Bay won well enough to suggest she will return to black-type company next month. The Joe Byrne trained filly closed late for a narrow victory in the Westspeed 2YO Plate at Ascot 1200m).
Bim Bom Bay (2f Bel Esprit – Rollstar by Military Plume) had finished midfield when racing first-up in the LR Supremacy Stakes last month. “She will run in the Karrakatta but her main aim is the Sires’ Produce Stakes,” Byrne said. “I believe 1400m will be right up her alley.”
Bel Esprit certainly upgraded the bottom half of the winner’s pedigree. Her dam Rollstar retired a maiden after 18 starts in NSW and none of her first five foals saluted the judge.
Rollstar was sold, carrying Bim Bom Bay, for $20,000 at the 2008 Inglis Easter Mare Sale. She changed hands again for just $1,500 at a Perth Magic Millions Mixed Sale in July 2009.