Vinery Stud finished Top 10 among Book 1 vendors at the Magic Millions after selling a Russian Revolution colt ($500,000) and a Snitzel filly ($400,000) on Saturday evening.

Following five sessions of record-breaking results for Magic Millions on the Gold Coast, Vinery turnover reached $5.98million for the 18 lots that found new homes.  They averaged $332,000 topped a $1million Too Darn Hot (GB) filly sold to Watership Down Stud owners Andrew and Madeleine Lloyd-Webber on Friday.

The half-million dollar colt by Russian Revolution from Hot Summer Night (Lot 943) was the last of 10 Book 1 yearlings purchased by Kia Ora Stud on the Gold Coast.  He was offered (as agent) for Russian Revolution’s breeder Brian Backshall (John Stuart Investments).

To be trained by Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou, he’s a half-brother to Summer Sham (MRC Angus Armanasco Stakes Gr.2).  “We loved him from the first time we saw him at Vinery,” Alexiou said  “Gerald was adamant we had to take him home.  He’s a very stylish colt with a deep pedigree.  We’ve trained some good winners for Kia-Ora and he was targeted for them.

“Who knows?  He might be back at Vinery in a few more years.”

The Vinery – Kia Ora combination has a Group 1 record that’s second-to-none.  Champion Australian first-season sire Russian Revolution was a Vinery graduate as was Group 1 Golden Slipper Stakes winner Farnan who heads the roster at Kia-Ora.  Then there’s Champion Hong Kong Sprinter Wellington.  A son of Vinery sire All Too Hard, he was bred and sold by Kia-Ora Stud in partnership with Vinery partners David Paradice and Steve McCann for $70,000 at the 2018 Gold Coast Magic Millions.

Vinery’s Snitzel – Ivory Rose filly (Lot 979) was the final yearling through the ring on Saturday evening and, not for the first time, Victorian owner Shane Morrissy waited until the last lot to strike with a bid of $400,000.

A Snitzel colt from Vinery was also the final yearling catalogued for the Saturday night session in 2017.  Named Morrissy, he sold for $240,000 and has banked over $600,000 to date for Shane, his wife Rebecca and Team Corstens.

Offered by Vinery (as agent) for breeder Berend Van Dalfsen, the filly is from a half-sister to German Group 1 winner Danceteria (Redoute’s Choice) and the dam of recent WATC Placid Ark Stakes (LR, 1200m) winner My Bella Mae (Deep Field).

Vinery’s entire Magic Millions consignment was catalogued in Book 1 and the $332,000 average was a 10% increase on 2022.  The Vinery team’s focus will now turn to its 38-lot draft entered for the three-day Inglis Classic Yearling Sale at Riverside Stables starting on Sunday, February 12.