It was hard to begrudge Dal Cielo (Per Incanto-Cent From Heaven by Centaine) his win in the Group 1 1200m Haunui Farm Diamond Stakes at Ellerslie on Saturday. The LA bred colt had shown real courage when sitting wide throughout to defeat Selfie on Boxing Day followed by a third placing in the Karaka Million after a similar trip, and on Saturday a better barrier draw afforded him the luxury of only sitting two off the fence, from where he was able to go on and comfortably defeat Battle Time with fellow Per Incanto colt Rocanto (Per Incanto-Romantic Liaisons by Danasinga) third.
Dal Cielo who is first crop sire Per Incanto’s inaugural Group 1 winner, has a potential re-match with the Lowell Goddard bred Rocanto and their Group 2 Matamata Breeders Stakes placed paternal half sister Nahema (Per Incanto-Our Prized Rose by Prized) in the only other Group 1 race for New Zealand two-year-olds, the Courtesy Ford Manawatu Sires Produce Stakes at Awapuni on March 28.
Saturday’s result had a distinct Central Districts flavour with Dal Cielo owned by Wellingtonian Lib Petagna and the Homebush Partnership No 5 Syndicate, whose majority members hail from throughout Wairarapa and the Hawkes Bay. Masterton bloodstock agent Bruce Perry, who manages the bloodstock interests of Lib Petagna and the Homebush Syndicate, bought the colt from our 2013 Karaka Select Draft for $95,000.
Dal Cielo is a half sister to the Group 3 winner Eloa and the dam of Group 1 winning filly Lights of Heaven. Their dam Cent From Heaven is a full sister to the dam of the multiple Group 1 winner and promising stallion Alamosa.
