Black Caviar took centre stage among Bel Esprit’s usual quota of winners on Saturday when she scored a brilliant victory in the G2 Schillaci Stakes at Caulfield. The Peter Moody trained flyer was racing for the first time since winning the G2 Australian Stakes at Moonee Valley in January.
Black Caviar (4m Bel Esprit – Helsinge by Desert Sun) is unbeaten after six starts and appears to be the only horse capable of stretching star sprinter Hay List this spring.
Bel Esprit sired another ground-breaking winner on Saturday when Bel Franc scored on debut in the Fulham Park Plate at Morphettville. She is the first of what promises to be a record-breaking number of winners from his current crop of two year-olds in 2010-11.
The Equine Infuenza (E.I) outbreak in 2007 rocked the Australian breeding industry but there was a silver lining for several stallions.
Bel Esprit benefited from the restrictions that prevented Victorian based mares travelling to the Hunter Valley. He covered 266 mares at Eliza Park that year and that will ensure his record of 12 juvenile winners in 2008-09 will be shattered this season.
Bel Franc (2f Bel Esprit – Lady Franc by Grosvenor) shadowed the leader Gonski Girl (Gonski) in the Fulham Park Plate before going clear to score a soft win under apprentice Jason Maskiell.
“We knew she was a nice filly,” trainer Lloyd Kennewell revealed. “But she played up before the start so she might have had enough for now. If we do give her another run, it will be at Flemington on Melbourne Cup day.”
Bel Franc is from a half-sister to Western Red (Spectacular Love) who was a G1 winner of the Waikato Draught Sprint and STC Canterbury Guineas. Eliza Park sold her for $25,000 at the 2010 Inglis Melbourne Autumn yearling sale.
HOOFNOTE
An Equine Influenza class action led by lawyers Attwood Marshall reaches its next step this Wednesday (October 13) in Brisbane Fully three years after E.I., Attwood Marshall will meet with Commonwealth lawyers to discuss the case, disclosure and next steps.
Losses incurred by Queensland based Wattle Brae Stud are being used as a test case for the E.I. class action.