Belardo, Bobby's Kitten Get First Winners in England

First winners for new sires are flowing thick and fast, and Belardo got in on the act June 7 when Golden Melody scored at the first time of asking at Haydock.

The juvenile filly, trained by William Haggas for Ian and Christine Beard and family, started at odds of 4-1 in the seven-runner novice event over six furlongs and ran out an eye-catching 2 1/4-length winner over Star of Emaraaty.

Ennistown Stud bred Belardo's first winner out of the Lomitas mare Chanter.

Belardo—like Air Force Blue , who also had his first winner over the weekend—was a European champion 2-year-old on the racetrack, thanks to a superb campaign that culminated in victory in the Dubai Dewhurst Stakes (G1).

He went on to finish second to miler Solow in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes Sponsored by QIPCO (G1) before landing the Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes (G1) at 4.

Belardo, whose grandsire is the much-missed Shamardal—stands at Darley's Kildangan Stud in Ireland at a fee of €10,000.

"They said Golden Melody was quite professional in her work, and she showed it there. Once she got organized, she powered away nicely," James Doyle, the winning jockey, reflected.

Sands of Time Scores at Lingfield to be First Winner for Bobby's Kitten

Lanwades Stud's freshman sire Bobby's Kitten became the most recent stallion to get off the mark when Sands of Time ran out an impressive winner of the opener Sunday at Lingfield.

The 100-30 shot, in the famous green and white silks of Lanwades' supremo Kirsten Rausing, made all to win by five lengths, with 5-4 favorite You've Charmed Me only third.

The filly was continuing the excellent form of the Mark Johnston stable and was partnered by Connor Beasley, for whom the victory was also something of a first.

"She was very sharp out of the gate, handled the track well, came 'round the bends lovely, and quickened nicely up the straight. She was very professional, " he said. "It's great to get a first winner on the board for the season, and long may it continue."

On the track, Bobby's Kitten, by Kitten's Joy  out of the Forestry mare Celestial Woods, won the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T), beating none other than No Nay Never, though he was more a miler than sprinter.

Bred and raced by Ken and Sarah Ramsey, Bobby's Kitten is the only son of six-time champion sire Kitten's Joy—also the sire of QIPCO Two Thousand Guineas (G1) hero Kameko—standing at stud in Britain or Ireland.

The promising Sands of Time is a homebred, out of group 3 winner Starlit Sands and from a fine Lanwades family that traces to Sushila.