Vinery’s consignment of 19 lots to the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale next month includes four lots from the first crop of Ole Kirk and another four by Champion sire Zoustar.
The Ole Kirks are already making waves and he was the first freshman to sire a seven-figure yearling at this year’s majors when the filly from Supara (Lot 260) sold for $1million the Gold Coast Magic Millions.
Zoustar is past introductions siring 7 individual Group 1 winners and his mare Zougotcha claimed a second at the elite-level with a memorable victory in the Coolmore Classic (1500m) at Rosehill on Saturday. And just for good measure, his first-season son Zousain opened his black-type account with Drifting in the Group 3 Magic Night Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill.
Zougotcha joins a roll-call of renowned Coolmore Classic mares that includes the Vinery-owned or sired winners Bollinger (Dehere), Typhoon Tracy (Red Ransom), Ofcourseican (Mossman) and Plucky Belle (Mossman).
Vinery’s Easter yearlings by Zoustar commence with the colt from Commands mare Fragrance (Lot 39) on Day 1. He’s a half-brother to last week’s Hong Kong winner Red Hare King who claimed the New Lantao Bus Hcp (1650m) at Happy Valley despite being posted three-wide without cover.
The Tony Cruz-trained Red Hare King (So You Think) started favourite to blouse out his stablemate Winning Dragon (Ivan Denisovich). “It was a tough win but it was a race where everything was ridden upside down,” jockey Matthew Chadwick explained. “The pace wasn’t fast so he was comfortable and in a smooth rhythm. His form has been consistent and he was the best horse in the race. Hopefully, he gets a kinder run next time.”
The Zoustar filly out of Street Cry mare Tallow (Lot 337) will be one of the highlights of Day 2 at Riverside Stables. She’s a half-sister to Champion Australian 2YO Farnan (Not A Single Doubt) who was a $550,000 Vinery graduate out of the 2019 Gold Coast Magic Millions. Like the Day 1 half-brother to Red Hare King, she is being offered by Vinery as agent for Phoenix Thoroughbred Ltd.
Vinery’s other Day 2 yearlings by Zoustar are being sold as agent for Vinery partner Greg Perry. The Spring Venture colt (Lot 313) is from a USA-bred mare who won to Group 2 level in the 2012 Natalma Stakes (1600m) at Woodbine.
Perry’s second Zoustar colt to parade during the second session is out of Group 1 VRC Oaks winner Aristia (Lot 427). He’s the mare’s first foal and is from one of Perry’s favourite families. He sold Aristia (Lonhro) through Vinery’s 2017 Easter consignment and kept a 20% share with First Light Racing before buying her back in full for stud duties.
Perry also retained her younger half-sister by I Am Invincible and named the filly Marabi. She was blessed with a wing on every hoof winning the Oakleigh Plate (Gr.1, 1100m) at Caulfield and Australia Stakes (Gr.2, 1200m) at Moonee Valley. Now she’s too is in foal to Zoustar off a maiden cover in October.
“The Spring Venture colt is a nice-sized colt and (Vinery bloodstock manager) Adam White tells me he’s developing into a real athlete,” Perry said. “He’s the mare’s final foal and I retained his full-sister Eraantyva who is with Chris Waller. The Aristia colt also moves well and he’s expected to sell well.”
Another regally-bred yearling catalogued by Vinery (as agent) for Perry is the Flying Artie full-brother to Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) winner Artorius (Lot 50). The colt is similar to his older brother but perhaps a bit stronger at the same stage and it wouldn’t surprise to see him sell for a lot more than the $120,000 Artorius cost as a yearling.
To be fair, Artorius was a bit immature early on but furnished into a beast covering 146 mares in his first book at Newgate Farm earlier this season.
The Street Boss filly from More Than Ready mare Sezanne (Lot 278) is a cracking type according to some good judges after pre-sale inspections at Vinery. His dam was runner-up in a Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m) and her first foal Joiselle (Snitzel) is on a hat-trick after winning her first two starts for Perry and trainer Brett Cavanough.
