Bel Esprit, who has been a great source of siring winners since going to stud in 2003, is to have a change of venue, he is to stand at Eliza Park International in Queensland.

His name is immediately associated as the sire of Black Caviar, however, let’s not forget one swallow does not make a summer, he has sired 100 winners plus over each of five seasons.

There was no rush to buy Bel Esprit as a yearling, he didn’t create much impression being knocked down to Macedon Lodge for a paltry $9,000, he returned to his owner $2,730.600 in prizemoney.

Foaled in 1999, by Royal Academy from Bespoken, he inherited the speed factor of his maternal grand sire Vain, who has proved an invaluable source of speed.

Bel Esprit is a proven success siring 484 winners of 1509 races, earning stake money of $44,941,332, the third highest progeny earner ever in Victoria.

“This is a major coup for the Queensland breeding industry, “said Racing Queensland Chairman and prominent breeder, Kevin Dixon.

The move to Queensland for the 2015 breeding season is a huge vote of confidence for the QTIS program in the northern state; furthermore, he has been the most successful sire in the history of Super VOBIS.

He offers a good return on investment, his progeny run fast and run early, his yearlings selling up to $260,000 in 2015.

Eliza Park International’s sales and nominations Manager, Mark Lindsay, has pointed out the benefits of sending Bel Esprit north.

“Breeding in Australia is no longer a state issue with stallions moving about more, we are committed to our operations in both Queensland and Victoria and really see our business as having national appeal”

“For us Bel Esprit is an ideal fit for Queensland stallion ranks in 2015, by earnings and winners”.

“What’s more he allows local broodmare owners to access the thriving OTIS scheme and Victorians won’t miss out either “

“Due to the flexible structure of Super Vobis Bel Esprit’s progeny from 2015 conceptions can still qualify under Breedback, or through Category C, we see it as a win situation “ said Mark Lindsay.

Bel Esprit will stand at a fee of $18,700 in 2015.

Bel Esprit - A great sire

A set of racing silks that had been stored away for decades, came out of mothballs on Saturday when Fleur Fatale won the VOBIS Gold Ingot at Caulfield.

The colours of gold, red striped sleeves, were prominent 30 years ago in the era of Kingston Town, Kingston Rule, Rose of Kingston, Spirit of Kingston, and others all raced by David Hains, and his wife, Helen.

David was missing from Caulfield on Saturday to see Fleur Fatale win, preferring to watch the race in the comfort of his home.

A successful man in business, he applied much the same science into breeding thoroughbred horses.

About the first horse he raced was Zvornik, by Todman, from Rijeka by Rego, trained by Angus Armanasco, quite a useful colt and later a prominent sire in Western Australia.

David remained a private breeder and a selective one, he didn’t want a lot of horses about, he bred in both hemispheres, Kingston Park at Merricks, and Kingston Park in Kentucky.

He had success out of both venues with Kingston Town, being the best horse he bred with three Cox Plates to his credit, 30 wins, only out of a place four times in 41 starts, and the first horse to win a million in stakes.

Rose Of Kingston was a favourite, and for very good reason, she was a rare filly, winning a Derby and two Oaks before going to America where she was ultimately mated with the Triple Crown success, Secretariat.

The foal resulting from the mating was Kingston Rule, bred in America, winner of the 1990 Melbourne Cup, he still holds the time record for the race of 3.16.3 .

Fleur Fatale winning for David Hains

Dissident went out in a blaze of glory winning the time honoured Group 1 All Aged Stakes at Randwick, first run in 1866 and won twice by Carbine before he won the Melbourne Cup.

That was the last roll of the dice for Dissident, the race his trainer, Peter Moody, had set him for, culminating with a gem of a ride from Jim Cassidy, it does not get any better than that.

The curtain has been drawn of one phase of Dissident’s career, next will be as a potential sire at Newgate Farm Scone, he should be assured of a quality book of mares.

He needed to go out a winner as there was nothing left for him, a lot was hinging on the All Aged Stakes, he came through with flying colours.

There is no substitute for going out a winner, and particularly at the elite level of weight for age, that is where it counts.

He is by Sebring who is proving to be quite a versatile sire, leaving horses that are wining over much further ground than expected.

Mornington trainer, Matt Laurie, pulled the right rein taking Pearl Star to Adelaide on Saturday, winning the Listed Dequetteville Stakes at Morphettville.

Whilst she was still a maiden prior to Adelaide, when fourth in a field of 16 to Caro Kann early last month at Caulfield, when starting at the liberal odds of six dollars.

The filly broke a string of ordinary luck for Matt, as happens to most trainers you have to batten down the hatches and weather the storm, the next winner might be just around the corner.

Missy Longstocking looked a picture as she paraded at Caulfield, almost an inducement to back her, except good looks don’t always win races.

She had an impressive strike rate prior to leaving Brisbane; however, it is not looking all that good since she arrived in Melbourne.

A wide barrier is no excuse for Saturday’s run; she was a spent force coming to the home turn, dropping right out of the race to finish last.

She may still have potential as a brood mare, she appears to have lost all interest in being a race horse.

A stable change and a long break have worked for Miss Promiscuity; there was plenty of zip in her step winning at Caulfield.

The long break since last September has rejuvenated her, she was always racing handy and never far off the pace set by Minja, who led for the early part of the trip.

Miss Promiscuity is raced by her breeder, Robert Crabtree; he also bred her sire, Magnus, who is proving a highly successful sire, located at Eliza Park International.

She had previously raced in Sydney where she had three starts without actually winning, yet was not disgraced.

The partnership of David Hayes and Tom Dabernig have taken the mare over, her return to form has been encouraging.

Linda Meech had the winning ride, she didn’t bother to get busy until the top of the straight when the business end of the job was clearly in sight.

It was a strange betting race as Minaj had not done a lot to warrant being favourite, while Miss Promiscuity had not raced for nearly eight months, was second favourite.

Miss Steele looked some sort chance when she loomed up in the straight, but only for a fleeting moment, little else could be said of the race, it was a two horse affair.

Miss Promiscuity winning under Linda Meech

Records were shattered at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sales last week with a turnover of $311 million dollars, rivalling any sale of its kind seen in the world.

When the starting gates sales opened at 11 am the field was away, the big players surged in, there was no place for faint hearts here.

Agents from every corner of the globe, where horse racing is held, were in Sydney to get a slice of the action.

Million dollar yearlings are becoming the regular at the Easter Sales, the first yearling sold for a seven figure sum was Columbia Star in 1998, he realised $1.4 million for his breeder and never raced.

Since Columbia Star was sold, a further 21yearlings have reached the magical million up to 2013, those sold thereafter for a million or more in 2014 and this year, numbering 17 are just two year olds and yearlings, hence they are excluded at this stage.

Results from the 22 yearlings sold between 1998 and 2013 realising $46,025,000 won 38 races, returning for their owners a total of $3,994.040, one lot went to South Africa and another to Japan, they are excluded.

Of the 22 yearlings sold for a seven figure sum three never raced, while Mount Olympus sold for $3 million, failed to win a race in two starts, and the following year L’Heritier sold for $2.1 million, showed a return of $2,000.

The only yearling sold for a seven figure to date was All Too Hard, he realised $1.025 million for his breeder and returned $2.288,000 in stake earnings to his owner.