Vinery Stud's evergreen stalwart More Than Ready (USA) captured headlines when
his high class colt Prized Icon gave James Cummings a historic first win in the
Group I VRC Victoria Derby.A Group I winning juvenile, now with a Blue Riband victory on the resume, Prized Icon personifies the class and versatility of his champion sire, whose offspring have tasted success in all countries, over all distances.
In seeking an heir apparent to More Than Ready, Vinery Stud looked to the US with Group I Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf winner Pluck (USA) selected to continue his legacy.
Cut from the same cloth as his illustrious sire, Pluck has burst from the blocks this spring with a top-notch colt and filly from his second-crop, which were both foaled and raised at Vinery Stud.
His two year-old enforcer Aspect had the size and the skill to win the Group
III VRC Maribyrnong Plate(1000m) at Flemington last Saturday.The Tony McEvoy trained colt is the first stakes winner by Pluck and he let down like a horse heading to better races in the autumn.
Pluck filly Lucky Louie was retained to race by owners and is another candidate for The Championships in Sydney after a flashing-light second in the Group III VRC Ottawa Stakes at Flemington on cup Day.
It was her second stakes placing in two starts following a Listed placing at Randwick in the Gimcrack Stakes.
Aspect will go straight for a spell after joining Maribyrnong Plate luminaries Bel Esprit, Testa Rossa, Canny Lad, Rancher and Vain.
"He raced like a professional today and went straight as a gun when he got to the front," McEvoy said.
"He will have a break now - the big dances are in the autumn."He's got a beautiful extension of stride and we will set him for the Blue Diamond and Golden Slipper."
Aspect is a homebred for Peter Robinson and Jean and Jack Stott and they raced her dam to five wins in and around Newcastle. She's a half-sister to Doomben stakes winner Tina Melina and her latest foal is a yearling colt by Vinery sire Testa Rossa.
Winning jockey Kerrin McEvoy was just as expansive as his uncle after weighing in at headquarters.
"Aspect gave me a nice feel in a trial here and was even better under race conditions.There's plenty of upside to him," he said.
Pluck has been on fire in recent weeks with four winners since the start of the month. There have been 16 individual winners to date from his first crop making him a great value sire for just $9,900.
