New winners for Bernardini and Ad Valorem

Darley first-season sires record their fourth and ninth winners respectively

Two of Darley’s first-season sires added to their winners’ totals on August 13, with both Bernardini and Ad Valorem siring new winners.

At Newbury in the UK, Bernardini’s Treasury Devil made a winning debut when putting up a very impressive performance to take the 1400m-maiden. Tracking the early leaders, the John Gosden-trained colt took the lead two furlongs out and quickened well to win by three and a quarter lengths.

Bred by Watership Down Stud and now running in the colours of the stud’s owner Lord Lloyd Webber, Treasury Devil (who went through the ring for US$1 million at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale) is out of the G1 winner Crystal Music, already dam of a Black type performer in Crystany.

Bernardini has now sired four individual winners, including A Z Warrior – last seen finishing a creditable second in the G3 Sorrento Stakes. He stands at Kelvinside at a fee of $38,500 including GST.

Also on Friday, Ad Valorem’s son Bellemere became the ninth individual winner for his sire when winning over 1000m at Newcastle.

Settled off the early pace, the two-year-old colt raced alone on the far rail during the early stages – a manoeuvre that clearly worked to his advantage as taking the lead a furlong out, he ran on well in the closing stages to win by half a length.

He is out of the Coronado’s Quest mare Five Lakes, whose dam is a full sister to multiple G1 winner Aptitude.

Ad Valorem is also sire of Listed winner Samaden, plus the well-regarded Blaze Of Thunder. His first southern hemisphere crop have just turned two and he stands at Kelvinside at a fee of $11,000 including GST.