Vinery partners Steve McCann and Neil Werrett have struck twice this week with beautifully-bred colts Super Sharp and Colossal.
They both carry the ‘Big V’ brand and both appear to have surfaced with appropriate names given their promising maiden wins.
Super Sharp (2c More Than Ready – Sharpness by Wanted) won second time out in the Trimboli Services Hcp (1100m) at Gawler on Sunday for trainers Leon Macdonald and Andrew Gluyas. He trailed stablemate Seven Secrets before ranging up and edging clear under 59kg.
McCann and Werrett bred him in partnership with Vinery General Manager Peter Orton and sold him for $150,000 at the 2021 Gold Coast Magic Millions. Their dam Sharpness had been a $115,000 yearling buy for the trio from Yallambee Stud at the 2015 Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale and she won city races in Sydney and Melbourne when trained by Team Hawkes.
Macdonald and Gluyas went back and bought Super Sharp’s full-brother for $95,000 at last month’s Inglis Melbourne Premier. Sharpness has a colt from the first crop of Vinery sire Exceedence and after producing a lovely foal, is back in foal to the Coolmore Stud Stakes winner.
WA-based Mount Hallowell Stud owner Craig Thompson launched the career of another exciting prospect when his Snitzel colt Colossal was an eye-catching winner at Pinjarra on Wednesday.
Colossal accelerated through a gap to nail the Great Northern Supercrisp Maiden (1200m) as a short-priced favourite on debut. Carrying Mount Hallowell’s gold and purple silks, he settled behind a moderate tempo and had the field covered in a couple of strides when Paddy Carbery clicked him up at the furlong.
In the last twelve months, Thompson has been blessed breeding 2yo feature winners Hoi An (Gr.3 WA Sires’ Produce Stakes) and Sheeza Belter (RL Magic Millions Classic). Both fillies were readymade but feet issues kept Colossal on ice until he was an autumn 3yo.
“It was a great result after waiting so long,” Thompson said. “And it was especially pleasing to see him take that tight run for Paddy at the right time.”
Colossal is prepared by Group 1 trainer Grant Williams and is bred in the purple by Champion Sire Snitzel from Hallowell Belle (Starcraft) who won the Gr.2 Gilgai Stakes (1200m) at Flemington and LR Darby Munro Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill in 2012.
“I sold Hallowell Belle to Steve (McCann) and Neil (Werrett) for around $1 million,” Thompson recalled. “They put Colossal through the Vinery consignment at the 2020 Inglis Easter Sale and I instructed Gai and Adrian (Bott) to buy him on my behalf as I couldn’t get across to Sydney.
“He made $300,000 and I was happy for Steve and Neil to stay in with 15% each.”
The trio had to be patient because Colossal had a condition known as ‘long toe – short heel’ syndrome which can lead to more serious leg ailments if not corrected. “I decided that it would be better to take him along very slowly rather than through the rigours of a busy stable,” Thompson continued. “I transferred him over to WA and put him in a paddock for a year.
“With help from the excellent vets and farriers at Murdoch Equine Hospital, his feet are now in good shape. He’s a lovely animal and it was a terrific debut.”
