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...
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.
Another Ton For Bel
Sun Stud’s perennial champ, Bel Esprit has again notched up 100 individual winners for the season with promising 3YO, Ashrad, leading throughout to notch up his maiden win at Wangaratta on Sunday.
$550,000 Snitzel Filly Tops MM National Weanling Sale
A beautifully related daughter of Snitzel topped the 2025 Magic Millions National Weanling Sale on the Gold Coast today when selling for $550,000.
Frankel Filly Wins G1 Irish 1000 Guineas for Coolmore
Frankel filly Lake Victoria sailed through an undefeated juvenile season with five straight wins including three at G1 level before tasting defeat for the first time when unplaced in the Group I Newmarket 1000 Guineas, but she rebounded in spectacular fashion on a day when her sire posted a G1 double.
One To Watch - Belmont
The Belmont meeting in Perth was abandoned on Saturday after just five races, but that was enough time for punters to get a look at a two year-old by Too Darn Hot (GB) that is the last foal of a sensational WA blue hen who sadly passed away last year.
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.
Mixed Fortunes for Aussie Connected Sprinters
There were two important sprint races run overnight in the UK and Ireland and both had key runners with strong Australian interest in Zoustar mare Mgheera and the former Waterhouse  Bott trained colt Storm Boy.
First Season Highlights – These Young Stallions Had Results of Note
At the Inglis Australian Weanling Sale it was Anamoe that made the biggest splash which is as it should be given his profile and he duly did it again at the Gold Coast on Sunday with the Magic Millions National Weanling Sale proving a showcase for his offspring.
Wootton Bassett 2YO Colt Wins G3 – Royal Ascot Next
The big meeting at The Curragh overnight produced an exciting new two year-old stakes-winner for Wootton Bassett with Albert Einstein making it two wins in as many starts when taking out the Group III Marble Hill Stakes (6f).
Rosemont Thirty for Thirty Launch for Zoustar's Best Son
Rosemont Stud are thrilled to announce the brilliant, all-the-way winner of the $1M Gr.1 W.F.A William Reid Stakes, SCHWARZ has retired & will stand at their Gnarwarre base in 2025.