Ardalio lands Gr.3 win number three

Elsdon Park’s homebred Ardrossan mare Ardalio added a third Gr.3 win to her resume, with a spirited win in the Haunui Farm Counties Bowl (1100m) at Pukekohe today.

The Stephen Marsh-trained four-year-old swept to the lead in the homestraight under Kozzi Asano, but gave connections a brief fright when shifting out on the mounting challenge of Twain. Corrected and straightened up again, she pulled away to win by a decisive 1.5 lengths.

“She was super,” Asano said. “She’s not the easiest to ride and has got a few tricks, but she has a real killer instinct. I felt something coming up beside us, and she ducked out a little bit, but she was too good in the end.”

Bred and raced by Elsdon Park, Ardalio has now had eight starts for four wins, a second and $417,100 in stakes. Her previous Gr.3 wins comprise of the Gr.3 Almanzor Trophy (1200m) and Gr.3 Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) as a three-year-old.

According to Marsh’s stable representative Dylan Johnson, Group One sprint features are now on Ardalio’s agenda.

“She’s putting together a great record and is just so tough,” Johnson said. “Kozzi gave her a beautiful trip, and then she just fights all the way to the finish. Those attributes made her a multiple Group winner as a three-year-old, and today was outstanding.

“Stephen is keen to keep her to those sprint trips this season, and we’ll have a look at races like the Telegraph (Gr.1, 1200m) and Railway (Gr.1, 1200m).”

Ardalio is the second foal of Petagna’s Written Tycoon mare Bridgewater whose extended family represents a strong European flavour along with the Australian Gr.3 winner Index Linked.

Ardalio is the third stakes winner by Ardrossan that Elsdon Park has bred this season, with previous black-type heroes here comprising Saltcoats and De Armas.