Premiership trainer Scott Brunton has struck gold twice with Vinery Stud sire Pluck (USA).

He was introduced to Pluck’s progeny after travelling from Hobart to Adelaide to buy Life On The Wire at the 2015 Magic Millions Yearling Sale.  She developed into one of the most consistent mares in training last season and is ready to resume for another campaign crossing Bass Strait.

Brunton returned to the Adelaide Magic Millions last year and was pleasantly surprised to find another Pluck filly that fitted the bill and his budget.

Named Lady Pluck (pictured), she looked an exciting prospect ever since a debut second in the Gold Sovereign Stakes LR at Mowbray in February.  “It was an enormous effort,” Brunton recalled.  “It’s our top two year-old race and she was only run over late.”

A comfortable all-the-way win at Elwick in July punched her ticket to Port Melbourne for the Cap D’Antibes Stakes LR on Saturday and the Flemington stage showed she’s right up there with our best fillies in training.

She sprinted through a gap alongside the outside rail and chased Smart Melody and Music Bay home into third spot.  The winner is a top-drawer filly from Newcastle and the other visitors – Music Bay (Adelaide) & Lady Pluck (Hobart) – blew away the locals.

“We were thrilled with the performance and she gained black-type in the process,” Brunton said.  “It was a quality field but we had full faith in the filly and it was exciting to see her measure up.

“Many of the connections headed over.  It was a big day and that’s the last time she will open up at $101/$21.  We threw her in the deep-end but she did a great job and I couldn’t be happier.”

Brunton took Lady Pluck back to her home environment at Seven Mile Beach outside Hobart in readiness for a return trip to Melbourne.  She isn’t nominated for the Thousand Guineas Gr.1 over 1600m but there are several other options when Melbourne’s spring carnival is in full-swing.

Two short-course targets over 1200m are the Scarborough Champagne Stakes Gr.3 at Moonee Valley on Friday, September 28 and the Thoroughbred Club Stakes Gr.3 at Caulfield on Saturday, October 13.

Brunton is also ready to kick-start Life On The Wire for her latest campaign.  She has been nominated to meet a red-hot field of mares first-up in a Group 3 sprint at Caulfield this Saturday.

2018 VINERY STALLION ROSTER

MORE THAN READY: $66,000

ALL TOO HARD: $33,000

STAR TURN: $22,000

HEADWATER: $16,500

PRESS STATEMENT: $16,500

CASINO PRINCE: $9,900

PLUCK: $6,600

All service fees (inc GST)