Vinery Stud’s Inglis Easter Yearling Sale draft received the best possible start when a Written Tycoon half-brother to Champion Australian Sprinter Santa Ana Lane made $500,000 on Sunday.
Catalogued as Lot 22, the colt was bred by Bromfield Park owner Bill Pearce from Fast Fleet (Fastnet Rock) and was purchased by China Horse Club in partnership with Newgate Farm, Go Bloodstock and Trilogy Racing. “He’s a big, strong colt and a lovely mover,” Newgate’s Henry Field said after beating off some strong opposition. “The good ones by the sire are very good and this one is a half-brother to a champion.”
The Written Tycoon – Fastnet Rock cross has an 83% strike-rate with five Stakes-winners headed by Santa Ana Lane who claimed Group 1 sprints in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide.
China Horse Club had bought a Group 1 winner from Vinery (as agent) shortly after opening for business in Australia. At the 2015 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale, its founder Teo Ah Khing paid $320,000 for a Snitzel colt later named Russian Revolution and he went on to win elite-level sprints at Rosehill and Caulfield before launching a successful stud career at Newgate Farm.
Lot 177 Filly Star Turn x Naantali (NZ)
Victorian-based owner Eddie Hirsch continued to upgrade his bloodstock portfolio with a $360,000 filly by Vinery sire Star Turn from NZ-bred mare Naantali (Rip Van Winkle). Hirsch purchased Woodside Park from Mark Rowsthorn and rebranded the Tylden property Hirsch Park. It’s situated 80km north-west of Melbourne and among its early winners was their homebred Star Turn mare Psycho Star.
“This Star Turn filly is my favourite filly on type,” Hirsch Park manager Mark Dodamaide said. “I inspected her Friday and Saturday and came back this morning. I love her pedigree and she can also make a successful broodmare.”
Lot 50 Colt Flying Artie x Gracie’s Lass
Singapore-based Aramco Racing bought a Flying Artie full-brother to Group 1 sprinter Artorius for $350,000. Their dam Gracie’s Lass (Redoute’s Choice) is a half-sister to VRC Darley Classic (Gr.1, 1200m) winner Delectation (Shamardal).
He was offered (as agent) for Vinery partner Greg Perry and will be trained by Chris Waller. “He’s better looking and more forward than Artorius as a yearling,” Aramco Racing’s Chua Boone said. “We also bought Gatsby’s from Vinery at the 2023 Easter Sale and Chris is setting him for the Brisbane Winter Carnival.”
Gatsby’s (Snitzel) was a very impressive debut winner at Canterbury in February and, like the Flying Artie colt on Sunday, he looked a good buy at $220,000 from Vinery last year.
Lot 128 Colt Ole Kirk x Manasari
Team Hawkes trained Ole Kirk and supported him with $260,000 for a colt at the Gold Coast Magic Millions before investing a further $340,000 for another one of his sons at the Inglis Easter Sale on Sunday.
His Vinery colt is from More Than Ready mare Manasari and she is a half-sister to Japanese Group 3 winner Fiano Romano (Fastnet Rock). “If Ole Kirk doesn’t make it as a sire, you may as well use a dartboard to pick a stallion,” Wayne Hawkes said. “This one will develop into a top 3yo – just like his sire.
“Ole Kirk won everything at three bar the (Gr.1) Coolmore Stud Stakes but he had already won the (Gr.1) Golden Rose in Sydney and (Gr.1) Caulfield Guineas in Melbourne. He was the best of that generation and it doesn’t get much better with his pedigree.”
Lot 39 Colt Zoustar x Fragrance
Prominent Queensland owner Ron Wanless outlaid $300,000 for a Zoustar – Fragrance colt under the KPW Bloodstock banner. His dam has a Group 1 pedigree as a full-sister to Skilled (AJC Champagne Stakes) and a half-sister to Willowy (VRC Victorian Oaks).
Fragrance is also doing a good job at stud. Her first foal Angelic Sprit (Teofilo) was placed at Group 3 level in the Morphettville Guineas and her second Red Hare King (So You Think) is a last-start winner in Hong Kong for trainer Tony Cruz.
A Zoustar colt sold to Coolmore Stud for $1.9million earlier on Sunday and Wanless may have found a rough diamond for a bargain price at Riverside Stables. “He’s a lovely colt from a good farm,” KPW Bloodstock advisor Kevin Walls said. “It’s also pleasing to see Vinery meet the market.”
Lot 168 Filly Ole Kirk x Mousai
Andew Noblet has black-type plans for Dundeel 3yo Easy Dun and that initially drew the Ballarat trainer to his half-sister by Ole Kirk on Sunday.
“We paid $250,000 and, if she’s half as good as Easy Dun, it will be a very good buy,” Noblet predicted. “She’s a nice type in her own right and her dam Mousai is a daughter of Starspangledbanner.”
Easy Dun won a Bendigo maiden on debut in February and was then runner-up to Air Assault (Justify) in the Morphettville Guineas (LR, 1600m) last month. “We’re taking him to Brisbane for the Queensland Guineas (Gr.2, 1600m) in May,” Noblet said. “Then we will put him away for the spring carnival in Melbourne!”
Lot 199 Filly Toronado x Orvieto
A grey Toronado – Orvieto filly closed Vinery’s Day 1 consignment with a winning $260,000 bid from trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent jnr. “She’s a gorgeous filly with a great page and she’s a late November foal so there’s obviously improvement to come,” Price said. “And I like the sire and dam.
“Our Toronado 3yo Moby Dick won both his starts at Pakenham last month and he’s a potential Stakes winner. I trained her dam and we didn’t see the best of her. She was very smart and won three from just five starts.”
Orvieto (Testa Rossa) is off to a great start at stud with her first foal Bonvicini (Myboycharlie) winning a VRC Vanity Stakes (Gr.3, 1400m) and Morphettville Guineas (LR, 1600m).
Vinery finished Top 10 for vendor turnover on Day 1 ($2.75million) and its average ($305,556) was achieved on a 90% clearance rate.
