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...
Bred to Win Returns on Monday night
Caroline Searcy’s Bred To Win returns this Monday night profiling new and proven stallions heading into the Spring of 2025 and promoting the thoroughbred breeding industry in Australia and around the world.
Too Darn Hot Mare Claims Third G1
Too Darn Hot (GB) will be a returning superstar to Darley NSW this spring and there is no doubt he can get an exceptional horse with Fallen Angel capturing her third Group I in France on Sunday when taking out the G1 Prix Rothschild (1m) at Deauville.
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.
Zed 9YO Wins G3 Winter Cup
Saturday’s $110,000 Group Three Winning Edge Presentations Winter Cup (1600m) at Riccarton continued an incredible ride for the connections of Chase (NZ) (Zed), who bought him for only $9,000 from Book 3 of Karaka 2018. Originally a $6,000 purchase by JD Corcoran when offered as a weanling from Valachi Downs in the 2017 National Weanling, Broodmare & Mixed Bloodstock Sale.
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.
Per Incanto Mare Wins $100,000 Polytrack Championship
Synthetic flyer Cosentino silenced any doubt about running out the seven furlongs with a blistering performance to claim Sunday’s $100,000 Japac Homes Polytrack Championship (1400m) at Awapuni.
MM Yearling Sales 2026 Open for Entry
The 2026 Magic Millions Yearling Sales - from the Gold Coast in January to Perth and Tasmania in February and the Gold Coast and Adelaide in March - are ready to deliver more groundbreaking results.
Highland Blaze Wins $250,000 Grand National Hurdle
Jumps racing was the highlight at Sandown Lakeside on Sunday with the $250,000 Grand National Hurdle (4200m) the highlight and the $100,000 Crisp Steeplechase (4200m) offering a great start to the day.
Second Stakes for Bel Esprit's Tactical Advantage
If Australian Bloodstock was disappointed with the performance of their colour-bearer Mustajeer (GB) in the Melbourne Cup it didn’t take long to bounce back with the Bel Esprit gelding Tactical Advantage breaking a run of outs in the Listed MSS Security Sprint (1200m) at Flemington.
Victorian Breeders Celebrate Annual Awards Night
The 2025 Victorian Breeding Awards has once again showcased the outstanding achievements within Victoria’s thoroughbred breeding and racing industry.