A $350,000 Exceedance colt elevated Vinery Stud into the Top 10 vendor list at the Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale on Sunday.
Catalogued as Lot 256, the Exceedance colt from Absolemm (Pierro) was offered in the last hour of trade with Robbie Griffiths and Mat de Kock having final say following some spirited competition around the auditorium. They bought him in conjunction with Peter Ford Thoroughbreds (FBAA).
“He’s from the same family as Glenfiddich who we trained,” Griffiths de Kock Racing manager Corey Smith said. “It was a bit of a bidding war but he was always going to come home with us.”
The Cranbourne trainers have form with Vinery stallions at Oaklands Junction through a Headwater filly that cost $200,000 at the 2021 Inglis Gold Yearling Sale. Named Typhoon Titmus, she signed off a promising initial prep with a Group 2 placing in the Edward Manifold Stakes (1600m) at Flemington in October.
“She was an outstanding yearling with a great walk and a strong shoulder,” Smith recalled. “She looked readymade and we thought she was the best filly in the sale.”
Vinery finished Top 10 on the 2023 Day 1 leader-boards for turnover ($820,000) and average ($164,000). And Exceedance was leading first-crop sire at an average of $160,000 as well as finishing sixth among all sires behind I Am Invincible, Capitalist, Written Tycoon, Brazen Beau and So You Think.
Vinery (as agent) sold a very athletic colt by Waikato Stud sire Super Seth (Lot 57) for $200,000. He’s the first foal of 2019 NZB Filly of the Year Queen Of Diamonds and was targeted by Japanese buyer Mr Y Onizuka.
All Too Hard’s Day 1 leader was the $170,000 colt from Zazita (Lot 249). A half-brother to Group 2 winner Amelie’s Star, he was knocked down to Hong Kong Jockey Club agent Craig Rounsefell. Another All Too Hard pinhook was the colt from Tephra (Lot 189) bought for $80,000 by Tal Nolen.
