Vinery Stud topped trade for Russian Revolution’s consignment to the Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale when the curtain came down on Book 1 at Oaklands Junction on Tuesday.
Catalogued as Lot 314 by Vinery, as agent for China Horse Club, the full-brother to Saturday’s Group 1 Randwick Guineas (1600m) winner Communist sold for $300,000 to Cranbourne trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent jnr.
Russian Revolution (Snitzel) is flying at the top of the Australian second-season premiership and Communist is the flag-bearer as his first Group 1 winner. Back in 2015, Vinery sold Russian Revolution to China Horse Club, (as agent for Brian and Noela Backshall) for $320,000 at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.
Vinery also sold a Super Seth – Queen of Diamonds filly (Lot 57) for $200,000 on behalf of China Horse Club at Oaklands Junction. “Our Melbourne draft was well prepared at Vinery Stud and we are excited by the homes they are going to,” said Mike Smith, China Horse Club’s Australian Representative. “The market is becoming more and more aware of the elite results from our stock.”
The CHC-branded duo and the $350,000 Exceedance – Absolemm colt (Lot 256) sporting the ‘Big V’ brand on Sunday, elevated Vinery into a Top 10 vendor finish with an overall average of $168,571.
That compares favourably with Vinery’s recent Melbourne Premier returns of $108k (2022), $177k (2021) and $168k (2020) considering certain sections of the current buying-bench are being affected by the tightening economy.
Exceedance (Exceed And Excel) was a Group 1 VRC Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) winner for John, Wayne & Michael Hawkes and he finished fourth on the first-season table helped by two colts targeted by Team Hawkes for a combined spend of $280,000. “Exceedance was a great horse and so was Bivouac who he beat in the Coolmore,” Wayne Hawkes declared on Wednesday morning. “Dominic Beirne said that year’s Coolmore is the greatest race he has rated up the straight at Flemington.
“We’re excited looking at the first yearlings by stallions we have trained and we were eager to buy an Exceedance at Premier. Lot 266 grabbed our attention. He’s just like his old man.”
The Hawkes favourite is the second foal from Canterbury winner All Too Free (All Too Hard) and she is a half-sister to the Redoute’s Choice black-type winners Ravi (Sheraco Stakes Gr.3) and Elzaam (Carnarvon Stakes LR). Another half-sister Manju (Henny Hughes) is the dam of Headwater hard-knocker River Twain who has claimed four of his seven wins on the road at Morphettville for Price and Kent.
