Double Taupo strike for Almanzor

Our shuttle stallion Almanzor played a starring role at Taupo with a winning double delivered by a pair of homebreds.Geriatrix took advantage of a drop back in class for a confidence-boosting victory while Bellezor impressively broke her maiden off a lengthy break in the previous event.Trained by Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott, Geriatrix finished powerfully from well back in the field for rider Kozzi Asano to win over 1400 metres and his second success on the course.In a driving finish, the colt got in the deciding stride to beat the Stephen Marsh-prepared Arrowette, a Zoustar mare we also bred and race.Geriatrix had finished fourth in the G3 Wellington Stakes three runs back in November before he was out of the picture in the Karaka Millions, but Scott said he had his excuses.“He didn’t handle the ground there at Ellerslie on Karaka Millions night. He had been away from the races for a fair while too,” he said.We sold Geriatrix at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale at Karaka with agent Bruce Perry signing the ticket at $675,000.He is a son of the Showcasing mare Its Our Showtime, who is a half-sister to the G1 Railway Stakes winner Inspirational Girl and the family of Group winners Demonetization, Midnight Styling, Zingaling and Midnight Blue.Congratulations also go to trainer Paul Richards, who produced Bellezor for a stylish first-up victory over 1400 metres.The four-year-old’s only previous appearance was an unplaced one of the course 11 months ago, but was paraded in forward condition off a trial placing.She settled third last before improving 700 metres from home to corner four wide and then showed sharp acceleration under Matthew Cameron to overpower her rivals.We offered Bellezor via the Gavelhouse platform and she was purchased for $14,500 by part-owner Richards, who races the mare with Group One Developments.A half-sister to the multiple Singapore stakes winner Mr Clint, Bellezor is a daughter of the Zabeel mare Victoria Belle who is a granddaughter of the dual Group One winner Foxwood.We sold Victoria Belle’s colt by Hello Youmzain to Victorian trainer Nigel Blackiston for $200,000 at Karaka last month.