Breeding & Racing Magazine

Dark Musket Wins Listed Belmont Classic

At Belmont in West Australia, Yarradale Stud's Gr2-winning stallion Musket (Redoute's Choice-Tugela, by Riverman), a three-quarter brother to champion mare and three-time Melbourne Cup winner Makybe Diva, celebrated his first stakes winner when 3YO gelding Dark Musket (Musket-Oriental Lass, by Faltaat) scored by a nose for trainer Graeme Ballantyne in the $100,000 Listed Belmont Classic (2200m) for 3YOs, over fellow 3YO geldings North Ridge (Danehill Express-Noreaster, by Fuji Kiseki) & Settlers Creek (Discorsi-Three Sisters, by Nuclear Freeze). Dark Musket took his record to 3 wins and 2 placings from 8 starts for $115,100 earnings. Dark Musket was purchased by John Chalmers Bloodstock for just $4,000 as a weanling at the 2012 Magic Millions Perth Winter Thoroughbred Sale from the draft of Geisel Park.