Vinery Stud can be confident the careers of 3yo close relations Wizards and First Person will continue to climb following promising wins at the provincials in the week just gone.
Wizards (3g Fastnet Rock – Dreams And Wishes by Galileo) is a Vinery graduate and he was a stylish winner of a Super Maiden Plate (1500m) at Hawkesbury last Thursday. Trainer Ciaron Maher is considering a trip north for the classics at the Brisbane winter carnival.
First Person (3f All Too Hard – Personify by Galileo) was racing first-up to win the Hungerford Hill Wines Maiden (900m) at Newcastle on Wednesday. It was a performance that attracted several agents but she will be staying put with Kris Lees at Newcastle.
Their dams are full-sisters and second-dam Procrastinate (Jade Hunter) foaled a dozen winners including Laisserfaire (Danehill) who was twice-voted Champion Sprinting Mare in South Africa.
First Person is a half-sister to VRC Oaks (Gr.1, 2500m) winner Personal (Fastnet Rock) and she gave jockey Tommy Berry some anxious moments before producing a powerful finish to reel in Duke Of Bronte (Capitalist) and Godelba (Divine Prophet).
“The plan was to let the speed go but she didn’t want to abide by that!” Berry said. “She’s perfect cantering around to the start but her competitive nature gets the better of her in a race. We had a fight and she head-butted me out of the gates. She needs to relax and with that lethal finish, she’s got a bright future.”
All Too Hard stablemates Must Go and Bundle Of Charm completed a double at Sha Tin on Wednesday evening for John Size who is third on the Hong Kong trainers’ championship with 41 wins.
Must Go (3g All Too Hard – Madame Moustache by Hinchinbrook) broke his duck in the Ting Kau Hcp (1200m). His dam won a Victory Vain 2yo Plate (12000m) at Randwick for Chris Waller and she hails from a family nurtured by George Altomonte at Corumbene Stud.
Bundle Of Charm (5g All Too Hard – Dubleanny by Dubleo) was bred and sold by Vinery for $46,000 as a weanling at the 2019 Magic Millions National Sale. Wednesday’s win in the Chinese Importers’ & Exporters Hcp (1200m) sent his earnings to the equivalent of AUD$2.02million for owner Colin Lo Chor Cheong.
Dubleanny was a Listed winner at Flemington (2) and Morphettville and Size said her Hong Kong-based son has been so honest and consistent this season. “We will keep going and see what we can find for him. He’s handicapping himself out of a few races now but just keeps turning up.”
Winning jockey Alexis Badel, who was the regular rider of All Too Hard’s champion sprinter Wellington, said Bundle Of Charm had been stiff not to win a Class 1 at Happy Valley in February. “He had the advantage that night and lost it on the line. That was a bit frustrating but today is a great victory and well deserved.”
Size has won 12 training titles and the race brought him closer to Pierre Ng (54) and Francis Lui (45). All Too Hard’s stats continue to improve with 16 individual winners of 27 races in Hong Kong.
