Riverside Stables was like a second home for the Vinery Stud team during the busiest time of a sales season that came to a conclusion on Friday.
Inglis held five separate auctions in a month with Vinery and its sires involved in all five starting with the Australian Easter Yearling Sale on April 3 through to the HTBA Yearling Sale, Australian Weanling Sale, Chairman’s Sale and Australian Broodmare Sale.
Vinery (as agent) sold Jal Lei for $600,000 at the Chairman’s Sale on Thursday. She was offered as a racing and breeding proposition by Vinery partner David Paradice and was purchased by Kia Ora Stud.
Paradice had acquired Jal Lei as a yearling from Segenhoe Stud for $180,000 at the 2020 Inglis Easter Sale. She won the Wenona Girl Quality (Gr.3, 1200m) at Randwick in March adding black-type to a family that now has five Stakes winners under second-dam Fumble (Snippets) who claimed an ATC Research Stakes (Gr.3, 1200m) at Randwick in 2005.
“Jal Lei is an outstanding mare with an amazing attitude and an explosive turn of foot,” trainer John O’Shea said. “She’s sound, handles all ground and there’s plenty of racing left in her.”
Group 3-winning sprinter Mileva became the top-priced Headwater at public auction when she was knocked down for $700,000 at the Chairman’s Sale. Presented as a racing and breeding proposition by Mill Park Stud (as agent), she will also join the broodmare band at Kia Ora Stud.
Mileva has earned $645,485 to date and that’s only bettered by millionaire mare Jamaea among the 136 individual winners from Headwater’s first three crops conceived at Vinery. ”She’s a tremendously fast mare with a devastating fresh record,” Mill Park’s Chris Watson said. “She has form around many of the best sprinters in the country and is a very honest, genuine mare with a good constitution.
“She was very, very sharp early and has matured into a Stakes winner at three and four before producing arguably her best performance at five beating the males at weight for age in the Monash Stakes.”
Mares by Vinery legend More Than Ready (USA) were in vogue with Peters Investments receiving $325,000 for Celebrity Miss at the Chairman’s Sale. Her dam is Adelaide Group 1 winner Miss Margaret (Marscay) and she’s the dam of Melbourne Group 1 winner Celebrity Queen (Redoute’s Choice).
Bob and Sandra Peters sold their mares through Holbrook Thoroughbreds and the More Than Ready Group 3 La Trice Classic (1800m) winner Ideal Image went for $230,000 at the Australian Broodmare Sale on Friday.
Ideal Image was purchased by Ultra Thoroughbreds and is a full-sister to Group 1 Kingston Town Classic (1800m) winner Perfect Refection. Ultra owner Sean Buckley then paid Bell River Thoroughbreds $100,000 for Bollinger Rose (More Than Ready) who is a daughter of Vinery’s Group 1 winning foundation mare Bollinger (Dehere).
Ole Kirk had four first-crop lots average $82,500 at the Inglis Weanling Sale and the second will include a foal from Narumi (All Too Hard). She was sold to NZ-based Beaufort Downs for $100,000 on Friday off a positive November cover at Vinery.
