A juvenile champion whom Timeform rated 119 at two, 123 at three and 125 at four, Belardo did not win in his second season but chased home Solow in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on his final start, which gave hope that he could return to top form as an older horse.
He kicked off that third campaign with victory in Doncaster Mile in early April, disappointed when only fourth to Toormore in the Group 2 bet365 Mile at Sandown, but then bounced back to beat Euro Charline by a length in the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes at Newbury. He then failed by just half a length to beat the US champion Tepin in the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes at Ascot, on what turned out to be his final start. It was one of the best performances of his career and he lost nothing in defeat.
A first-crop son of the classic star Lope De Vega (by Shamardal), Belardo is a half-brother to the multiple pattern winner Berling (by Montjeu) and his dam, Danaskaya (by Danehill), was placed in both the Group 2 Lowther Stakes and Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes as a juvenile.
Her half-sister Modeeroch (by Mozart) was a Group 2-placed triple stakes winner in Ireland, half-brother Chinese Whisper (by Montjeu) was third in the Group 1 Gran Criterium, and her siblings also include Maskaya (by Machiavellian), the dam of this year's Group 3 Lillie Langtry Stakes winner and Group 2 Park Hill Stakes third California (by Azamour). Majinskaya (by Marignan), the pattern-placed stakes-winning grandam of Belardo, is a half-sister to the dam of Group 1 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp heroine Kistena (by Miswaki) and she is out of Makarova (by Nijinsky), a blacktype-placed half-sister to the dam of Fruits Of Love (by Hansel) and Mujadil (by Storm Bird). The former won the Group 2 Princess of Wales's Stakes and two editions of the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes and he was multiple Group 1-placed. Mujadil, on the other hand, won the Group 3 Cornwallis Stakes, he was runner-up in the Group 2 Flying Childers Stakes and became a notably successful stallion. Belardo's fifth dam is Midget (by Djebe), who won the Coronation Stakes, Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, Prix de la Foret, Prix Maurice de Gheest, and Cheveley Park Stakes, was runner-up in the 1000 Guineas and finished third in the Prix de Diane (French Oaks). Timeform rated her 130 at two and 125 at three, her progeny included the Cheveley Park Stakes winner Mige (by Saint Crespin) and her descendants include 1000 Guineas scorer Ma Biche (by Key To The Kingdom). Belardo was a top juvenile who became a leading miler, he is an early stallion son for a well-bred classic star and he comes from the family of Mujadil. This new Kildangan Stud recruit looks sure to be popular in his new role. BELARDO (IRE) – b.2012 – Lope De Vega – Danaskaya, 5 wins inc Lockinge Stakes (Gr1), Dewhurst Stakes (Gr1), Doncaster Mile Stakes (L), Washington Singer Stakes (L), 2nd Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Gr1), Queen Anne Stakes (Gr1), 3rd Challenge Stakes (Gr2). Sire in Ireland. First foals in 2018. Comments are closed.
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