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.
Story: Kevin Roberston, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
A professional display from speedy Elsdon Park-bred 2YO De Armas paved the way for a decisive victory in the first stakes race on Saturday’s Pukekohe programme, the Listed Counties Challenge Stakes (1100m).
Trainer Johno Benner trekked north with the daughter of Ardrossan, who went into the race off the back of an 850m trial victory at Foxton earlier in the month, following a winning debut on her home track in September.
Benner had been content to give his charge plenty of time to get over that win on a testing Heavy10 surface and came into Saturday’s contest with the express purpose of gaining a guaranteed start in the rich TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) at Ellerslie on January 24.
Rider Kelly Myers had De Armas away smartly from the starting gates and outside pacemaker With A Vengeance after just 150m, where the pair matched motors into the home straight.
Myers pushed the go button at the 200m and the filly bounded clear and she held her two-length advantage comfortably to the winning post from the fast-finishing favourite Harvey Wallbanger, who charged home from last of the nine runners on the home bend.
Benner, who shares in the ownership of the filly with some long-standing friends and stable clients, cut an emotional figure as he thanked those who have supported him after some trying times in recent months.
“It’s special in a lot of ways as it’s been topsy turvy of late,” Benner said.
“I’ve been to the top of this industry and there has been a lot (of water) go under the bridge, so to have those loyal owners help me get back here means a lot.
“I needed some down time to process things, but the love of the horse never went anywhere.”
Benner had made no secret of the fact he rated De Armas highly and went further in his opinion of her following the race.
“I think she is the best horse I have put a saddle on,” he said. “I’ve said it to a few people, but I’ve tried to put a lid on it.
“I think she is going to be a better three-year-old, but coming here today has given me the option not to have to come back up here again (until Karaka Millions night).
“She is a beautiful cut of a filly and I don’t want to sound silly, but I said over breakfast I think she will win today and I can put her away with 11 weeks to Ellerslie and I won’t need to run her again.”
TAB Bookmakers reacted swiftly, installing the filly as the $3.50 Fixed Odds favourite for the Karaka Millions 2YO.
Myers backed up Benner’s assessment of De Armas when questioned in the birdcage after unsaddling her mount.
“That’s a big statement as he has trained some good horses, but I just love this filly,” she said. “It was just her second start today and we had a sticky barrier, but she is just class.
“She was able to put herself right there and I knew they wouldn’t catch her as the further she goes the faster she gets.
“The scary thing is she looks like she will be a better three-year-old, so who knows what we have got.”
Benner secured De Armas from the 2025 National Online Yearling Sale for $16,000 and she has now returned over $86,000 in prizemoney from her two starts to date.
Racing Photo: Megan Liefting, Race images
Are you curious as to what happens at Matamata’s Thoroughbred nursery, Elsdon Park?
If so, we’d love to show you what we do by inviting you and your friends to book a spot in one of the following three sessions, when we open our gates to the public as a part of National Thoroughbred Week:
- Thursday, 10am
- Thursday 12:30pm
- Friday 10am
Each of these free tours will last an hour, and you will have the opportunity to meet some of our racehorses, yearlings, and last but certainly not least, the mares and foals.
As we travel over the farm and its various departments, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of what makes the thoroughbred industry so captivating and why we are so passionate about it.
There are limited spots available on these tours, so booking is essential. To register, please use the link below.
If you would like to know a little bit more about Elsdon Park before registering, please visit www.elsdonpark.com, or visit our social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
We look forward to seeing some of you later this week!
Elsdon Park Team.
A game last-stride win under Aaron Bullock in Friday’s Port Macquarie Cup has qualified our Kris Lees-trained Frankel gelding Age of Sail for the A$3 mil The Big Dance at Royal Randwick on Nov 4.
Since being purchased by Bruce Perry for 40,000 gns at Tattersalls in 2023, Age of Sail has rewarded connections – who include Max Brown, Greg Clarke, Bruce, Anna and Becca Perry, Patrick O’Rourke, and Craig and Jo Nelson – with three wins and five placings.
Copy: Joshua Smith LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
Otaki horseman Johno Benner has a good association with the Karaka Millions, and he could have another serious contender on his hands for January’s showpiece.
He won the 2014 edition of the Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) with Vespa and the inaugural Karaka Millions 3YO Classic (1600m) with Scott Base in 2018, when training in partnership with Hollie Wynyard, and exciting Elsdon Park-bred juvenile De Armas put herself in a strong position to qualify for the former race when winning on debut at her home track on Friday.
After winning her 600m trial at Foxton last week by 10 lengths, she was backed into a $1.70 favourite in the Vets On Riverbank Two-Year-Old (800m) and won accordingly.
She jumped away well under jockey Kelly Myers and settled outside leader Spellbound. The pair matched stride for stride for much of the journey before De Armas showed her class in the final 200m when dashing away to score by 4-3/4 lengths.
“She was very good,” Benner said. “She has done a lot in a short time, she is definitely pretty smart.
“She has always shown plenty. It is hard to line the trial form up, we could only go off what we had seen with all of the other horses there. She definitely showed what we hoped she could and has the action of a filly that is going to appreciate a bit of a drier surface and a bit further again. It is all looking positive.”
Benner was also buoyed by her impeccable barrier manners, having been forced to wait in the starting stalls for several minutes while the subsequently late-scratched Singletary failed to load.
“She has got above average ability, but she has also got a very good brain, which helps these young ones go a long way,” he said.
Benner purchased the daughter of Ardrossan out of Elsdon Park’s 2024 New Zealand Bloodstock Online Yearling Sale on Gavelhouse Plus for $16,000, and he is pleased she is fulfilling the potential he saw in her last April.
“I like the Ardrossans,” he said. “She is a beautifully balanced, athletic filly and she just moved so well. She had a great head and eye and had that look of a sharp filly.
“I did a bit of study and saw the dam won her first couple of starts and showed a lot, so I thought you can’t make them for that money. I was rapt to get her for $16,000, and being a filly, there are a lot of upsides to that. I am glad I kept hitting bid.”
De Armas has already exceeded he purchase price in earnings, having banked $23,000 for Friday’s win, which will go a long way in qualifying her for the TAB Karaka Millions 2YO at Ellerslie on January 24.
“Something that I have learned over the years is that if you are chasing it (Karaka Million start), you are probably doing the wrong thing,” Benner said. “They are either not good enough to be there or you are pushing a horse that shouldn’t be pushed. The good ones take care of it for you.
“$23,000 should get her in, but we have obviously got a fair bit of water to go under the bridge before January, but it is a good start.”
De Armas will now have a freshen-up before chasing valuable black-type in the Gr.2 Happy Hire Wakefield Stakes (1100m) prior to Christmas at Awapuni.
“She is going straight to the paddock and she will have a few weeks off and all going well she will target the Wakefield at Awapuni on the 20th of December,” Benner said. “We will possibly look at one more run at Ellerslie before the Millions, but we will just take it as it comes.”
While he has tasted success in the Karaka Millions, Benner is under no illusions of the task ahead, but is confident he has the filly to give it a good shake.
“She is up there with him (Vespa, prior winner) and we have thought that for a fair while, just because of natural ability,” Benner said.
“I feel it is a lot harder now because I think the competition is a lot stiffer than it was back in 2014 for obvious reasons, Te Akau being one of them.
“You have got to have a serious horse to compete, but she definitely ticks a lot of the boxes that are required.” –
NZ Racing Desk, Richard Edmunds
Spring racing moved up a notch at Ellerslie on Saturday for Stephen Marsh, who came away from the meeting with three wins and plenty to be excited about through the months ahead.
Marsh collected back-to-back successes early in the afternoon with Guineas contenders Well Written (Written Tycoon) and Churmatt (Churchill), then saddled Little Black Dress (Snitzel) for a third placing in the Gr.3 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Sunline Vase (1400m).
But the Cambridge trainer may have saved the best for last, unleashing the exciting four-year-old entire Tardelli (I Am Invincible) for a scintillating first-up victory against open-class opposition in the $65,000 Eagle Technology (1400m).
Marsh has always had a big opinion of Tardelli, who joined his stable as a three-year-old last season. He had begun his career with three two-year-old starts in Sydney for John O’Shea, finishing fourth, fifth and sixth and crossing the line less than four lengths from the subsequent Group One star Switzerland (Snitzel).
Tardelli won two races last season including the inaugural $100,000 Windsor Park Stud 3YO Trophy (1500m) on Champions Day at Ellerslie in March, and he was beaten by a neck by Doctor Askar (NZ) (Derryn) when second against older horses in the Gr.3 Easter Handicap (1600m). He also finished third to Savaglee (NZ) (Savabeel) in the Gr.2 Levin Classic (1400m) and to Sethito (NZ) (Super Seth) in the Listed (now Gr.3) Uncle Remus Stakes (1400m).
Tardelli won a trial impressively at Ellerslie on September 9 to set him up for Saturday’s raceday return, which Marsh went into with a quiet confidence that he might be about to do something special. That was exactly what the son of I Am Invincible delivered.
Jockey George Rooke slotted Tardelli into fifth spot, one off the rail, as Churchillian (NZ) (Churchill) and Quality Time (Amaron) led the field up to the home turn.
Tardelli cruised up alongside the leaders early in the straight while still under a tight hold from Rooke. The brakes were finally released with 200m remaining and the race was all over. Tardelli dashed clear within the space of a few powerful strides.
Rooke eased the $3 favourite down in the concluding stages of the race and he cruised to victory by two lengths over Cannon Hill (NZ) (Ardrossan) and Livid Sky (NZ) (Proisir).
“I was a passenger today,” Rooke said. “My job was just to not get it wrong. He’s really shown us what he’s capable of.
“He relaxed beautifully today. He’s obviously matured a lot this time in, and he’s a lot stronger and clearly a lot better as well.
“He’s definitely a Group One horse. He’d be up there with some of the best I’ve sat on. I’ve ridden some nice horses over in England too, but this one feels like a very nice horse.”
Tardelli has now had 12 starts for three wins, five placings and $216,509 in stakes. He races in the colours of Lib Petagna’s Elsdon Park, who shares ownership with Hawridge Developments, Jamieson Park and the Little Avondale Trust.
“That was special,” Marsh said. “He’d been coming up so well this time in. I was actually a bit nervous before the race. I expected something along those lines, but you never know. Once I saw him trot up like that in the straight, I knew it was all over a long way from home.
“He’s a serious animal and has a lot ahead of him. I told George to just ride him like the best horse in the field, and if he’s as good as we think he is, he’ll do the rest. He really did that and it was a pleasure to watch.
“I thought we’d aim him at the Thorndon Mile (1600m) at Group One level, but that’s been downgraded to Group Two now. That was the race I identified as his target about six months ago. But I’m sure there’ll be a Group One for him somewhere.”
Bardia’s Dream (Super Seth ex Kissmekate) extended Elsdon Park’s successful graduate tally to four this week, with a bold run under Damian Lane at Seymour yesterday.
The Simon Zahra-trained four-year-old mare dashed home outwide in the 1200m assignment, winning by a half-length for owners SZ Racing No 1, Mrs D J Ellis, Ms J Crewes, Mr J Addamo, Mr A J Blackshaw, Leacra Syndicate, Mr P Robinson, Mr S D Kempster, Mr L Barker, Mr G V Barker, S R Devlyn, Mr A Sofos, Mr C McDonald-Sofos, and Mr M J Evans.
The now two-time winner was purchased by Zahra and Cameron Cooke Bloodstock from Elsdon Park’s 2023 Karaka Book One Yearling draft.
Elsdon Park’s four successful horses this week comprise: Saltcoats (Listed Wyong Cup), Sarrismo, Fairy Dream and Bardia’s Dream.
Written By LOVERACING.NZ News Desk – Paul Vettise
Tardelli (I Am Invincible) has the looks to match his rich pedigree, and his upcoming preparation will be focused on adding a top-level performance to boost his future stallion prospects.
The Stephen Marsh-trained four-year-old showed he was in prime order to resume when untouched by rider George Rooke to win an open 1100m heat at Tuesday’s Ellerslie trials.
“He’s a really smart horse, we haven’t seen the best of him yet and the goal is obviously to win a Group One with him,” Marsh said.
The son of I Am Invincible is a two-time winner and has placings to his credit in last season’s Gr.3 Easter Handicap (1600m) against the older horses and in the Gr.2 Levin Classic (1400m) and Listed Uncle Remus Stakes (1400m).
“He’s come up super and the plan is to kick off at Ellerslie on September 20 in an open 1400m,” Marsh said.
“He might go to the Matamata Cup (Listed, 1600m) and then maybe look at something like the Thorndon Mile (Gr.1, 1600m).”
Tardelli was offered by Yarraman Park at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and sold for A$360,000, with agent Bruce Perry signing the ticket for a syndicate including Lib Petagna’s Elsdon Park, Hawridge Developments, Jamieson Park and the Little Avondale Trust.
He is a son of Pierro Moss, an unraced daughter of Pierro and the stakes-winning Fastnet Rock mare Upon This Rock with the Gr.1 Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m) winner Charm Stone also featuring on his pedigree page.
Tardelli’s stablemates Ardalio (NZ) (Ardrossan) and Glamour Tycoon (Written Tycoon) also furthered their upcoming preparation with trial outings at Ellerslie.
Dual Group Three winner Ardalio was given an easy time when runner-up in her 1100m heat and is on target to resume at Te Rapa on September 27.
“She’ll run in an open 1200m and then look at the weight-for-age race at Rotorua (Gr.3 Sweynesse Stakes, 1215m) on October 12,” Marsh said.
“We would like to get her in the big sprints later and have a crack at the Telegraph (Gr.1, 1200m) with her.
“Glamour Tycoon went really well in her trial and she needs good tracks, so we’ll wait and see if she goes toward the Sweynesse.”
Congratulations to our Broodmare Manager Mel Heyns and her husband Ian, the successful breeders of today’s smart debut winner Fairy Dream (Proisir x Fairygem).
The promising Kingclere Stables-trained 3YO was ridden by George Rooke, who had the Saddlery Warehouse Maiden 1300 at Cambridge’s Synthetic track all sewn up with dominant run out wide.
Fairy Dream was sold through Elsdon Park’s draft at the 2024 NZB Book One Sale. The successful purchasers being her trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood. Interestingly, the win represented the 1300th domestic win for James.
Raced by Colin and Helen Litt – the noted owners of Champion 3YO and Champion Stayer Orchestral – Fairy Dream holds nominations for November’s Gr.1 NZ 1000 and 2000 Guineas.
The regally-bred Sarrismo proved way too strong for his rivals in the Class One Bundy Rum Hcp (1300m) at Hawkesbury Racecourse today.
Conditioned by John O’Shea and Tom Charlton, Sarrismo bounded clear of rivals when asked for the effort by jockey William Stanley, crossing with four lengths to spare.
The smart four-year-old gelding’s race record now reads two wins and a third from three career outings.
Co-bred with Yarraman Park Stud, Sarrismo is by I Am Invincible and is out of the Group-winning racemare Francaletta, who also raced in these colours.
Francaletta will visit the multiple Gr.1 winning sprinter Brave Smash this season.
Congrats to our fellow connections Yarraman Park Stud, D A Dickson, and A R Smith!