First Group 1 Winner for Freshman Sire Per Incanto
9 March 2015
First season sire Per Incanto was represented by his first Group 1 winner with two-year-old colt Dal Cielo (NZ) (Per Incanto) triumphant in the Group 1 $200,000 Haunui Farm Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie on Saturday.
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Dal Cielo (NZ) triumphant in the Group 1 Haunui Farm Diamond Stakes. |
The oldest progeny of Little Avondale Stud sire Per Incanto are only two-year-olds, with Dal Cielo his first Group 1 winner and second stakes winner. He has already had six individual winners this season, making him the leading First Season Sire by winners and leading 2YO Sire by winners in New Zealand.
Per Incanto has proved popular with buyers at the past two NZB National Yearling Sales Series, averaging $78,688 this year and $49,250 in 2014 off a $4,000 service fee.
Dal Cielo has had four starts, finishing second on debut in October and has since won two races, with Saturday’s victory being his first stakes success. Trained by Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman, his last start saw him finish third in the Res. Listed $1m Karaka Million over 1200m.
“It was a beautiful win,” commented Baker. “A nice ride by Opie (Bosson), he got back off the speed and came out when he had to.
“He is a good colt Dal Cielo, I thought he might have been a bit underdone after a setback a couple of weeks ago but his class carried him through.
“It was a bit concerning he had missed a bit of work but we didn’t want to push him too hard and risk taking the edge off him. We sprinted him up Thursday and we were pretty satisfied with his work.
“He has been very unlucky with barrier draws so it was very good to see him get a good draw this time. He likes the Ellerslie track, that’s where he won his maiden.”
Ridden by Opie Bosson, the Per Incanto colt was one of the first away from barrier 5 and settled in second position, sitting on the outside of front-runner Link Road (NZ) (Guillotine). Battle Time (NZ) (Battle Paint) passed Dal Cielo at the 800m as Bosson eased him back from the leader.
Ranging up as the field headed for home, Dal Cielo made his run as Battle Time hit the lead. Dal Cielo powered past Battle Time for a one-and-a-quarter length victory, with Rocanto (NZ) (Per Incanto), another son of Per Incanto, finishing in third.
“He will probably head to the Manawatu Sires’ and he is also nominated for the Sires at Randwick but that is a mighty big leap up and something to have a think about,” says Baker.
The leading progeny of Per Incanto, Dal Cielo has earned a total of $222,500 to date for Lib Petagna's JML Bloodstock Ltd and Homebush Partnership No.5 Syndicate.
Bruce Perry purchased Dal Cielo for Petagna at the 2014 Karaka Select Sale for $95,000 from Little Avondale Stud. Perry has had plenty of luck purchasing horses for Petagna, including the likes of Group 1 winners Lucia Valentinia (NZ) (Savabeel) and Atlante (Fastnet Rock), both Karaka graduates.
The Baker/Forsman training partnership enjoyed a fruitful Auckland Cup Week with Mongolian Khan (Holy Roman Emperor) winning the Group 1 NZ Derby on the first day, and Sakhee’s Soldier (NZ) (Sakhee’s Secret) winning the Group 1 New Zealand Stakes on the same card as Dal Cielo’s Group 1 victory.
Bred by Little Avondale Trust, Dal Cielo is out of Cent From Heaven (Centaine), a placegetter in the Listed Oaks Trial Stakes, and is a half-brother to dual stakes winner Eloa (Volksraad), winner of the Group 3 Hawke’s Bay Highview Stakes. He is also a half-brother to the dam of multiple Australian stakes winner Lights of Heaven (Zabeel), winner of the Group 1 Schweppes Oaks.