Vinery Stud graduate Vanquished hit the ground running and was off and gone when given full rein by Tim Clark in the $250,000 Magic Millions Maiden Plate (1400m) at the Gold Coast on Saturday.

Trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, he had been placed earlier in this campaign at Randwick, Canterbury and Warwick Farm before bolting in by the best part of three lengths for a partnership managed by Aquis Farm owner Tony Fung.

“This race has always been on our radar and he was always going to excel getting out to 1400m,” Bott said.  “He’s going to keep improving when we get him out to 1600m and 2000m.  We didn’t discuss tactics with Tim.  We’re on the same page and it was a great ride.”

Vanquished (3g Vancouver – Pocket Power by Giant’s Causeway) was bred by Vinery partner Greg Perry (Greenwich Stud) and he kept a share after selling him through the Vinery consignment for $450,000 at the 2022 Gold Coast Magic Millions.

“We loved him,” Aquis bloodstock manager Sally Williams said.  “But we weren’t the only ones because there were plenty of others on him.”

His dam Pocket Power (USA) hails from one of Perry’s more successful Group 1 families.  She’s a three-quarter sister to Delectation (VRC Darley Classic) and a half-sister to the dam of Artorius (ATC Canterbury Stakes & MRC Blue Diamond Stakes).

Pocket Power’s current yearling is a full-brother, by Flying Artie, to Artorius and she has a filly foal by Home Affairs.

Perry had purchased her dam Grace And Power (More Than Ready) for $700,000 at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale in 2009.  “I had a close relationship with the late Steve Brem and we went through the catalogue and I found Grace And Power,” he recalled.

“She was by More Than Ready, and as a shareholder in Vinery, he was close to my heart.  Her third dam was a Secretariat half-sister to Allez France and I was very interested in that family.

“She ran second in the Group 1 Hollywood Starlet Stakes and was offered in foal to Giant’s Causeway (USA).  That foal was Pocket Power and she won a race here for Brett Cavanough before going to stud.”