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Elsdon stakes double claim at Pukekohe
Paul Vettise, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk ⢠ November 24th, 2025 4:00 pm
Ardalio winning at Pukekohe on Saturday. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)
Elsdon Park was in the thick of the black-type action at Pukekohe Park on Saturday, with a winning double for the Matamata nursery.
De Armas set the ball rolling with her stunning strike in the Listed Couties Challenge Stakes (1100m) and Ardalio carried farm principal Lib Petagnaâs colours to victory in the Gr.3 Counties Bowl (1100m).
Both are by Waikato Studâs Ardrossan, with Petagna enjoying a racing share in the stakes-winning son of Redouteâs Choice and has remained in the ownership group of the stallion.
âWe love him, he leaves a really good sort and weâve done exceptionally well. Last year, we averaged about $120,000 from all our Ardrossans,â Elsdon General Manager Kerrie Cox said.
âWe supported him with some really nice mares and have been rewarded with not only good sales results, but horses that can really run.â
Ardrossan was prepared for his domestic racing career by Stephen Marsh, and the Cambridge trainer is also the guiding hand behind the quality four-year-old Ardalio.
She has now won half of her eight starts, with three at Group Three level, having previously landed the Almanzor Trophy (1200m) and Cambridge Breedersâ Stakes (1200m).
Ardalio is out of the Written Tycoon mare Bridgewater who was purchased for A$300,000 at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale on Petagnaâs behalf by agent Bruce Perry.
âSheâs got a Sword Of State colt at foot and heâs beautiful, tall and strong, and sheâs got a yearling Per Incanto colt going to Sydney Easter,â Cox said.
âI would say heâs in the top two of all the yearlings we have, heâs a magnificent looking horse and the mare has gone back to Per Incanto this year.â
Bridgewater is out of a half-sister to the Gr.3 Tattersallâs Cup (2200m) winner Index Linked and to the dam of the Gr.1 South Australian Derby (2500m) winner Leicester, also Group placed in Hong Kong as Helene Leadingstar.
âArdalio isnât an easy mare and has her quirks, but everyone seems to have worked her out now and she runs well fresh,â Cox said.
âSheâs coming home to the farm today (Monday) and will have a week out, the less human interaction the better for her and she likes to do her own thing.
âPotentially, she could run fresh-up in the Telegraph (Gr.1, 1200m), thatâs the plan at this point.â
Ardalioâs juvenile brother and stablemate Raymond is also showing a good measure of the family ability.
âHeâs coming back here as well after trialling nicely last week, Stephen really rates him so we thought weâd give him a break now and bring him back for some later two-year-old races,â Cox said.
Meanwhile, De Armas was purchased from Elsdonâs New Zealand Bloodstock National Online Yearling Sale draft by trainer and part-owner Johno Benner for $16,000.
She was bred by Petagna under his JML Bloodstock banner and is out of the Rip Van Winkle mare Regal Winks.
De Armas was a debut winner on a heavy track at Otaki in September and her latest victory on top of the ground at Pukekohe has seen her elevated to $3.50 favouritism for the Karaka Millions 2YO Classic (1200m).
âWe bought the mare in foal to Ardrossan and the hope was that she would have a colt that we could sell at the Ready to Run or trade later, sometimes those fillies can be tougher to trade,â Cox said.
âDe Armas was a magnificent looking filly, we liked her all the way along, but when youâve got a lot of horses around, they canât all stay.â
