Bel Esprit Sprinter Wins Takeover Target

Tara Madgwick - Thursday January 17
Sun Stud's evergreen sire Bel Esprit featured at Gosford on Thursday when the Australian Bloodstock colours were carried to victory in the $150,000 Listed Takeover Target Stakes by Tactical Advantage.




A Gooree Stud homebred that was purchased by Australian Bloodstock last year, Tactical Advantage (images Steve Hart) has been in good form since joining the stable of Kris Lees .

Tactical Advantage returns a winner!He won three of his first four starts for his new trainer and was last seen finishing sixth in a Listed race at Doomben on December 29.

Ridden quietly off the pace in this 1200 metre sprint by Brenton Avdulla, Tactical Advantage zoomed to the line to beat the favourite Easy Eddie by a long head.

"The second horse took some running down so it was a good effort," said Kris Lees.

"It's really good to win a stakes race with him. He has a great bunch of owners.

"He can have a little break now, he's done a good job."

The 25th stakes-winner for Bel Esprit, Tactical Advantage has the overall record of nine wins and seven placings from 21 starts with prizemoney topping $550,000.

Tactical Advantage is the best of four winners from Group III placed Encosta de Lago mare Above Perfection, a daughter of stakes-winner Actress from the family of Gooree Stud's Group I winners Desert War, Laser Hawk and Romantic Touch.

Above Perfection has a yearling filly by Artie Schiller (USA), a colt foal by Shalaa (IRE) and was covered last spring by the Gooree Stud bred Smart Missile.

Black Caviar's sire Bel Esprit turns 20 this year and returned to Victoria last year for Sun Stud where he was welcomed warmly covering 95 mares at a fee of $11,000.





Advertisment
More Reading...
Twenty-Sixth Stakes Winner for Bel Esprit
The 5-year-old Bel Esprit mare Belwazi made her first stakes attempt a winning one in Saturday’s Listed Kensington Stakes at Flemington and in the process provided a welcome to Victoria for the champion South Australian jockey Jamie Kah.
Part 3 Snippets – The Legacy That Lives On
In the lead up to the 2026 Magic Millions Yearling Sale we’re going back to the beginning of one of the great stories of bloodstock and how a bargain yearling changed the face of the Australasian racing and breeding industry forever.
A Victory for the Locals in Seymour Cup
The Japanese-breds have been having the time of their lives in Australia of late so when Damian Lane drove A Shin Rook (JPN) through on the rails in Sunday’s $200,000 Listed Seymour Cup (1600m0 it looked a matter of here we go again but this one was destined to be a local victory.
Sun Stud Proud to Support Bushfire Appeal
Throughout January, Victoria’s Sun Stud will be supporting those affected by the devastating bushfires by donating $1,000 for every winner by a Sun Bloodstock owned horse, plus $200 for every winner sired by a stallion on the Sun Stud roster.
NZB Filly of the Year Series Standouts Set to Shine at Ellerslie
The top two fillies on the NZB Filly of the Year Series leaderboard will both be among the many stars stepping out at Ellerslie on Boxing Day, but they will be in different races.
Sires With Winners - Wednesday December 24
Here is the full list of 25 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
NZB Southern Filly of the Year Series Resumes on Boxing Day
Classy Canterbury filly Miss Starlight (NZ) (Sweynesse) could take a big step towards the NZB Southern Filly of the Year title when the four-race series resumes with the $100,000 Listed NZB Airfreight Stakes (1400m) at Wingatui on Boxing Day.
Paradoxium in Doubt for Magic Millions
Favourite for next month’s $3million Magic Millions 2YO Classic, Extreme Choice colt Paradoxium has suffered a bout of travel sickness and has been scratched from the Group III BRC BJ McLachlan Stakes at Eagle Farm this Saturday.
Cool Aza Beel Filly Leads Te Akau Boxing Day Charge
Te Akau Racing will be hoping to unwrap some late Christmas presents when they head to Wingatui on Boxing Day with a handful of runners.
Part 4 Snippets -The Jewel in the Crown
In the lead up to the 2026 Magic Millions Yearling Sale we’re going back to the beginning of one of the great stories of bloodstock and how a bargain yearling changed the face of the Australasian racing and breeding industry forever.