Stakes racing heated up over the weekend and so too did the Vinery contingent, with three farm graduates securing black-type victories on Saturday. Adding to the momentum, two-year-old All Too Hard gelding Hard Kick stamped himself as a rising star with a dominant debut win in the Listed Talindert Stakes.
SASS APPEAL MAKES IT THREE STRAIGHT IN THE LISTED DESIRABLE STAKES
It was a one-act affair in the three-year-old fillies’ feature at Flemington on Saturday, with the Danny O’Brien-trained Sass Appeal producing a commanding all-the-way victory under Damien Lane. The daughter of So You Think forged clear in the straight to score by more than two lengths over Ole Dancer (Ole Kirk), who charged home late for second.
After finishing second on debut in early December, Sass Appeal has since put together three consecutive wins, taking her earnings beyond $220,000. A step up to the Gr.2 Kewney Stakes now beckons and is expected to be her final run this preparation.
“I think we’ll go to the Kewney. It’s a big step to take on those horses that are seasoned up over the spring and the colts are a decent division with Observer looking top class,” O’Brien said.
“We’ve got a lot of hope that she can go to a very high level in the spring. She’s been well protected by us so far and she’s had a good build-up.
“I would expect the Kewney to be her last run and then we can hopefully get her to a really good race in the spring, something like the Myer on Derby Day.”
A $120,000 Inglis Premier purchase from the Vinery draft, Sass Appeal boasts a deep pedigree. She is out of Group 3-placed Cristal Eyes, a half-sister by All Too Hard to Group 3 winner Flying Evelyn. Her third dam is Group 1 Coolmore Classic winner Bollinger, while her fourth dam is Golden Slipper heroine Bint Marscay. Cristal Eyes produced a colt by Ole Kirk last spring and is now in foal to Exceedance.
LARA ANTIPOVA REMAINS UNBEATEN IN GROUP 2 MATAMATA BREEDERS’ STAKES
Te Aka Racing’s emerging star Lara Antipova confirmed her class, remaining unbeaten with a dominant performance in the Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m).
Despite drawing wide and tackling heavy ground, the daughter of Russian Revolution was sent forward early by Opie Bosson and responded brilliantly when asked to quicken, bounding clear to score by more than three lengths.
“She is a very special filly” Bosson said. “She wasn’t 100 percent in the ground, and she had a bit of a stumble turning in, but that actually made her pick the bit up more and she got underneath me. She is pure class.”
Trained by Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson, Lara Antipova has now won her first three starts by a combined margin of 12.5 lengths, including the Group 2 Challenge Stakes.
“She is a very good filly,” Walker said. The next port of call will be the Sistema and then, all going well, you would consider going over to Australia. We do think a lot of her.”
Purchased for $100,000 by David Ellis of Te Akau Racing in conjunction with Fortuna Racing from Vinery Stud’s 2025 Magic Millions draft, Lara Antipova is the fourth individual winner from Artistic Lass, a metropolitan-winning half-sister by Myboycharlie (IRE) to Group winners Sistine Angel and Sistine Demon.
Artistic Lass produced a colt by Stay Inside last spring and was subsequently covered again by the Golden Slipper winner. Her most recent colt by In The Congo sold for $150,000 to Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Racing / Kestrel Thoroughbreds at the Inglis Classic Sale.
GROUP 1 GOAL FOR SIXTIES AFTER CS HAYES STAKES TRIUMPH
Vinery pin-up boy Sixties will target Group 1 glory in the VRC Australian Guineas after a stylish victory in Saturday’s Group 3 CS Hayes Stakes (1400m).
Prepared by Chris Waller and partnered by Damien Lane, the colt who is a full brother to Group 1 winner Artorius, settled back in the field before unleashing a powerful finishing burst to score by more than a length over Asakura.
Stable representative Darren Beadman was full of praise:
“It’s a difficult task to sit three-wide here from 1400 metres. You pretty much start on the circle and you’re turning the whole time.
“He had the audacity to show a nice turn of foot, pin his ears back. He’s an exciting galloper.”
Offered in the Vinery Stud Inglis Easter draft and sold for $350,000 to Aramco Racing, Sixties is now a four-time winner, including the Group 2 Ming Dynasty Stakes, with earnings approaching half a million dollars.
Bred by Greg Perry and foaled and raised at Vinery, Sixties is the second Stakes winner among six winners from Grace’s Lass, an unraced half-sister by Redoute’s Choice to Group 1 winner Delectation. She is also the dam of promising two-year-old and Vinery graduate Jacaranda, who was a brilliant debut winner before finishing within a length in the Inglis Millennium this month.
Vinery also sold a Pinatubo (IRE) colt from Grace’s Lass at Magic Millions for $120,000 to Anthony Freedman Racing / Julian Blaxland Bloodstock.
POSSIBLE SLIPPER PATH FOR ALL TOO HARD’S NEW 2YO STAKES WINNER HARD KICK
Often regarded as one of Australia’s best value stallions, All Too Hard continues to produce high-class performers during major carnivals and his latest Stakes winner may be exciting two-year-old Hard Kick.
Prepared by the Lindsay Park team, Hard Kick produced a dazzling debut performance to claim the Talindert Stakes at Flemington under Damien Lane, scoring comfortably after travelling strongly throughout.
“Once the other horses got near him again, he wanted to race them. He’s just a natural competitor and he took a little bit of slowing down after the line ” Lane said.
“He’s a good horse. He’d been impressive at the jump-outs, but you’re never 100 percent sure stepping up to 1100 metres off the back of 800-metre trials.
“He gave you every feel he’d be better past 800 metres and that’s what he’s done today. He just went to another level.”
Whilst a tilt at the Blue Diamond Stakes next week has now been ruled out by co-trainer Ben Hayes, next month’s $5 million Golden Slipper Stakes is being considered.
“We will look at the option in two weeks in a stakes race at Flemington on maybe the three-week option into the Todman (Stakes).
Potentially, he could be (on a Golden Slipper path) but we want to do the best thing by the horse, just see how he is.” Bred by Macquarie Stud, Hard Kick was passed in as a weanling before being sold by Middlebrook Valley Lodge at the Adelaide Magic Millions Sale for $30,000 to Avesta Bloodstock. He was later re-offered at the Inglis Ready 2 Race Sale, where he produced a slick 10.10-second breeze and sold for $140,000 under the Hannover Lodge draft to Lindsay Park Racing.
Hard Kick becomes the 32nd Stakes winner for Vinery Stud’s All Too Hard and is the second winner from the Exceed And Excel mare Friendly Donna, who descends from the family of Group winners Burning Sands and Skoozi Please.
