Belardo

Belardo
Racing silks of Prince A A Faisal and Godolphin
Sire	Lope de Vega
Grandsire	Shamardal
Dam	Danakaya
Damsire	Danehill
Sex	Colt
Foaled	2 April 2012
Country	Ireland
Colour	Bay
Breeder	Ballylinch Stud
Owner	Prince A. A. Faisal Godolphin Racing
Trainer	Roger Varian
Record	16: 5-2-1
Earnings	£899,642
Major wins
Washington Singer Stakes (2014) Dewhurst Stakes (2014) Doncaster Mile Stakes (2016) Lockinge Stakes (2016)
Awards
Top-rated European two-year-old (2014)
Last updated on 14 May 2016

Belardo (foaled 2 April 2012) is an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. A son of Lope de Vega he is owned in partnership by Prince A. A. Faisal and Godolphin Racing and trained in Nemarket by Roger Varian. In 2014 he won two of his first four races including the Washington Singer Stakes before recording an upset victory in the Dewhurst Stakes. He was rated the best two-year-old to race in Europe that year. He failed to win as a three-year-old in 2015 but returned to winning form on his first start of 2016 with victory in the Listed Doncaster Mile Stakes and went on to take the Lockinge Stakes.

Belardo is a bay horse with a white blaze bred in Ireland by the County Kilkenny-based Ballylinch Stud. He is from the first crop of foals sired by the Prix du Jockey Club winner Lope de Vega: other foals from Lope de Vega's first crop included the winners of the Gran Criterium, Sirenia Stakes and Cornwallis Stakes. Belardo's dam Danakaya won only one minor race but was placed in both the Lowther Stakes and the Cheveley Park Stakes. As a descendant of the outstanding racemare Midget, she was distantly related to the 1000 Guineas winner Ma Biche.

In August 2013, the yearling was sent to the Arqana Sale at Deauville where he was bought for €100,000 by Voute Sales Ltd on behalf of the Saudi Prince A. A. Faisal. He was sent into training with Roger Varian at the Kremiln House stable at Newmarket, Suffolk.