Inspections at Riverside Stables for the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale were in full swing on Wednesday and Thursday morning ahead of wet-weather forecasts for Sydney later this week.
Vinery Stud’s Group 1 freshman Ole Kirk has seven colts and two fillies catalogued among the crème de la crème of Australia’s latest yearling crop being offered over two sessions on Sunday and Monday including three (as agent) from his home base.
Ole Kirk (Written Tycoon) was the first of the newcomers to sire a seven-figure yearling at this year’s majors when his filly from Supara sold for $1million at the Gold Coast Magic Millions. They averaged north of $200,000 and Easter vendors are confident he will more than match those returns after gauging on-site feedback this week.
Lot 116 B/Br Colt Ole Kirk – Lucky Ana (Lucky Unicorn) Cannon Hayes Stud
Cannon Hayes Stud owner David Morrissey made immediate inroads with Vinery sires in his first two sale-seasons with colts by Headwater and All Too Hard respectively and he’s back in the vendors box with an Ole Kirk yearling at the Inglis Easter Sale on Sunday.
Catalogued as Lot 116, the colt from NZ-bred mare Lucky Ana is a half-brother to Dig Deep (Karrakatta Plate Gr.2) and they’re from a half-sister to the dam of 2013-14 Australian Horse of the Year Lankan Rupee (Redoute’s Choice). “There’s a lot to like about him,” Morrissey said. “It’s a commercial family and he’s a high-quality colt.”
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Lot 127 Chestnut Colt Ole Kirk – Major Wager (Exceed And Excel) Twin Hills Stud
This colt’s Stakes-placed dam is out of a half-sister to millionaire Group 1 winner Amalfi. His family also includes All Too Hard’s multiple Group winning daughter Amangiri and the Stakes placed Arizona Activist (by Written Tyccon) so it stands to reason that a cross with All Too Hard’s nephew, Ole Kirk (by Written Tycoon), would suit the pedigree.
Like his dam sire Exceed And Excel would suggest, he’s a sharp, well balanced and precocious type who looks like an early runner just like four of the Stakes horses on his page. Twin Hill’s owner Olly Tait is a big fan of this colt, saying he “has been a standout from day one. It is a cliché but he is a physical horse. He has loads of strength with a great hindquarter. He is certainly a candidate to be an early performer for his sire.”
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Lot 128 Bay Colt Ole Kirk – Manasari (More Than Ready) Vinery Stud
Trelawney Stud’s Brent and Cherry Taylor purchased this colt’s older half-sister Indian Jewel (All Too Hard) from Vinery at the 2022 Easter Sale. She opened her account in a 3yo maiden at Pakenham earlier this season and Vinery’s Sales & Nominations manager Harry Roach said the Ole Kirk colt is developing along similar lines.
“He’s a good-sized, strong colt and you can see him maturing into a quality 3yo. There are More Than Ready traits coming through, too.” The Written Tycoon – More Than Ready cross has a Group 1-winning record with Coolangatta (VRC Lightning Stakes), Southport Tycoon (VRC Australian Guineas) and La Luna Rossa (Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes).
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Lot 168 Bay Filly Ole Kirk – Mousai (Fastnet Rock) Vinery Stud
Offered as agent for Vinery partner Steve McCann, this filly is turning heads as a half-sister to Sydney winner Garza Blanca and Easy Dun, both by I Am Invincible, who won a Bendigo maiden on debut in February before a black-type placing second-up in the Morphettville Guineas (LR, 1600m).
“Her dam has done a great job with her first two foals and this filly looks to be straight out of the same mould” Roach predicted. “She’s a sharp filly and is one of the better yearlings in our consignment.”
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Lot 283 B/Br Colt Ole Kirk – She Shao Fly (Epaulette) Gilgai Farm
Ole Kirk was bred by Gilgai owner Rick Jamieson and he sold two first-crop fillies at the Magic Millions to Bjorn Baker ($325,000) and Ciaron Maher ($275,000). “Ole Kirk was born at Cressfield and came home when he was a foal,” Gilgai manager Kelly Skillecorn recalled. “He was a standout growing up on the farm and it was encouraging to get good money for our fillies on the Gold Coast.
“Our Easter colt has the same head and snip as his sire and, all going well, he will be ready to race before Christmas!” The colt is an August foal and he’s also the first foal from She Shao Fly who won a Sandown nursery on debut for Tony McEvoy before graduating to a Group 3 victory in the SAJC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m).
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Lot 386 Bay Colt Ole Kirk – Wayupinthesky (Snitzel) North
North owner Mick Malone is offering the first Easter consignment out of his Scone nursery after many years at Kitchwin Hills. “We’ve been flat-out and our Ole Kirk colt has been in and out of the box since we arrived,” North manger John Jeffs said while directing traffic outside Barn D.
“The Ole Kirks sold well at the Magics. Our colt is the first foal of a Flemington Stakes winner and the Written Tycoon – Snitzel cross is firing this season.” JJ was referring to exciting NZ-based 2yo fillies Velocious (Sistema Stakes Gr.1) and Captured By Love (Matamata Breeders Stakes Gr.2).
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Lot 435 Bay Filly Ole Kirk – Ballet Rose (Exceed And Excel) Vinery Stud
A three-quarter sister to Writrose who just failed to complete a hat-trick last time out for trainer Annabel Neasham at the Gold Coast.
“She’s an attractive, medium-sized filly,” Roach said. “She’s also a strong, forward type and is particularly well-bred out of a mare by Exceed And Excel.”
Ballet Rose is a half-sister to Group 1 winner King’s Rose (NZ 1000 Guineas) and her black-type page goes down to Anabandana (Anabaa) who was Champion NZ 2YO in 2010-11.
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Lot 459 B/Br Colt Ole Kirk – Chequered Love (Dundeel) Sledmere Stud
Sledmere Stud owners Royston and Treen Murphy have been Ole Kirk supporters from the outset and they’ve entered his colt from Chequered Love (as agent) for Craig Pickford. “The Ole Kirks are really impressive,” Royston declared at the 2023 Inglis Foal Sale. “They’re beautifully-balanced with plenty of substance.”
Fast forward twelve months and Sledmere yearling manager Jock Harris is spruiking their colt who is out of a half-sister to Group 1 Australian Oaks (2400m) winner Once Were Wild (Johannesburg). “He’s a free-mover with a beautiful action,” Harris said. “His hip and shoulders are perfect and he’s really come on during the sale prep.”
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Lot 470 Bay Colt Ole Kirk – Cool Passion (Not A Single Doubt) Widden Stud
Cool Passion was one of the better-performed mares to foal a first-crop colt by Ole Kirk and the youngster hasn’t put a hoof wrong leading up to the Inglis Easter Sale. “He’s a straightforward colt and has made massive improvement since we commenced the yearling prep,” Widden’s yearling manager Liam Attwood reported.
Cool Passion began her career in Perth completing separate hat-tricks at Ascot and Belmont before she was purchased by John and Anne McDonnell from the Justin Warwick Dispersal in 2017. Transferred to Tony McEvoy, she added three Group 3 wins in Melbourne and was denied a Group 1 when run down late by Spright in the 2019 Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville.
