Champion Group 1 sprinter-miler Ole Kirk will head Vinery Stud’s roster at a $55,000 (inc GST) service fee in 2022.
In releasing the fees for this year, Vinery Bloodstock Manager Adam White said it’s an exciting time with Ole Kirk and Exceedance on the threshold of their stud careers alongside proven Group 1 stallion All Too Hard and rising stars like Headwater and Star Turn.
“It’s a young roster and we’re very happy with the line-up. The yearling sales produced more positive results for our sires and prizemoney increases continue to keep the industry buoyant. The interest we’ve received points to another good season but we’re mindful of breeders and have tried to keep our fees reasonable.”
With that in mind, Vinery is looking to the future with a roster tailor-made for every broodmare owner. For bookings or further information, please contact Adam White (0414 800 918) or Harry Roach (0401 970 006).
OLE KIRK
Ole Kirk (Written Tycoon) covered his first book of 170 quality mares last year, following a career that saw him rewrite the record books while propelling Written Tycoon to Australian Champion Sire honours in 2020-21.
“He’s an exciting stallion prospect and provides a vital outcross to mares from the Danehill sireline,” White said. “He was certainly the best colt of his generation and being such a good match for so many mares gives him the best opportunity.”
Ole Kirk was trained by Team Hawkes to win the Talindert Stakes (LR, 1100m) at Flemington as an autumn 2YO and he returned to win Group 1 Golden Rose (1400m) in Sydney and Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) in Melbourne as a spring 3YO.
The only other horse to completed that double since the inaugural Golden Rose was The Autumn Sun in 2018. “No doubt he’s the best three-year-old in the country,” Wayne Hawkes declared at Caulfield. “It’s as simple as that.”
Ole Kirk was named Champion 3YO Horse of the Year in 2020-21 and his dam Naturale (Bel Esprit) adds another dimension being that she’s a full-sister to our best-ever sprinter, Black Caviar. Their breeder Rick Jamieson put his Group 2 winning mare La Passe (Street Sense) at the front of the queue for an Ole Kirk cover last year.
“I’m confident Ole Kirk will play a major role at Vinery,” Jamieson said. “I predict he’ll be a great speed stallion of the future.”
EXCEEDANCE
Explosive sprinter Exceedance remains unchanged at a $33,000 (inc GST) fee this year after being fully subscribed with an average of 148 mares in his first two books.
A son of breed-shaping sire Exceed And Excel, he accelerated to score devastating victories over Bivouac in the San Domenico Stakes Gr.3 at Rosehill and the stallion-making Coolmore Stud Stakes Gr.1 at Flemington.
His first foals received widespread praise so it’s no surprise that there’s a lot of anticipation surrounding his first weanlings, who will head to the upcoming sales at the end of the month.
“His first foals are athletes with scope, strength and substance,” White reported. “We’ve been really impressed and the feedback from our clients has been terrific.”
“Our Exceedance colt is a beautiful sight. He’s the dam’s best foal to date.” Royston Murphy / Sledmere Stud
“Our colt is an absolute ripper! That’s no surprise because Exceedance is such a good-looking stallion.” Luke McDonald / Baramul Stud
“We’re very happy with the colt from Awesome Planet. The mare’s not overly big but Exceedance has put some size into him.” David Morrissey / Cannon Hayes Stud
“We sent seven mares to Exceedance and the filly from Miss Toorak Toff is as good a foal as you could want. His filly out of our ‘Vinnie’ mare Bim Bam Boom looks a very sharp type, too.” Ryan McEvoy / Rosemont Stud
“Exceedance is a big chance at stud when he leaves foals like our filly from Lovetorn. She’s all quality with a fantastic action.” John Kenneally / Erinvale Thoroughbreds
ALL TOO HARD
All Too Hard is arguably the best value for money sire in the Hunter Valley at $38,500 (inc GST).
A relatively small increase in his fee this year only goes some way to equal his elevation into the Australian Top 10 tables for prizemoney and winners.
“I tell breeders All Too Hard is the sort of stallion that can set your young mare up for the future,” White explained. “He has sired three Group 1 winners this season – Behemoth and Forbidden Love here and Wellington in Hong Kong.
“His success in Hong Kong has been remarkable and Wellington, who is widely touted as Hong Kong’s best sprinter, can go back-to-back in the Group 1 Chairmans Chairman's Sprint Prize this Sunday.”
All Too Hard’s overall statistics are nothing short of sensational with just five full-crops racing. His 22 individual Stakes winners headline a record of 100 individual winners in each of the last four seasons.
That’s been reflected in 2022 with his yearlings selling to $320,000 off a 94% clearance-rate at the five majors (Gold Coast Magic Millions, Inglis Sydney Classic, Inglis Melbourne Premier, NZB Karaka 1 & Inglis Sydney Easter).
STAR TURN
There’s just no stopping Star Turn, whose fee this year is $27,500 inc. GST. With just two crops racing, he’s firing in every jurisdiction with 8 Stakes performers around Australia and New Zealand.
A brilliant Group-winning sprinter himself, Star Turn has sired Stakes winners the calibre of Miss Hipstar and Me Me Lagarde while Startantes can make amends for a narrow Group 1 loss at Randwick earlier this year at the upcoming Brisbane winter carnival in the Stradbroke Hcp and Tatt’s Tiara.
Star Turn’s Group 3 NZ filly La Bella Beals is also booked for a flight to Brisbane with trainer Stephen Marsh weighing up the options following her brilliant first-up victory at Tauranga last month.
His Hong Kong expat Cordyceps Six is ready for a rise into black-type company on the back of a 50% winning strike-rate in 10 starts. “I think he’s one of the best three-year-olds we’ve seen in several years,” trainer Richard Gibson claimed. “He shows a lot of class and has a very good future.”
Star Turn had the highest 2YO winning strike-rate of all Australian sires in 2020-21 at better than 46%. That was 11% higher than Snitzel and 17% higher than I Am Invincible!
“His first-season figures were amazing and he’s backing it up this season,” White said. “His clearance rate at the major sales this year was 94% and they averaged over six-times his current service fee."
HEADWATER
Standing at $16,500 inc. GST, Headwater made an immediate impact at stud when he was Australia’s Champion First Season Sire by winners in 2019-20 and Australia’s Champion Second Season Sire by earnings in 2020-21.
Now with his third crop racing he is again the leading active sire by winners in his cohort. His ability to consistently get a high-volume of winners has also transferred into his ability to produce high-class Stakes winners like Jamaea, Wisdom Of Water, Mileva and Starlight in Singapore.
From his first two crops there have been 86 individual winners of 171 races to date, which stands up against any of his Australian-based contemporaries who retired to stud in 2016. That was reflected at the major yearling sales this year where he achieved a 100% clearance-rate at an average of $101,000.
Headwater blends “Speed on Speed” as a son of Exceed And Excel and Group 1 Oakleigh Plate winner River Dove. Befitting that pedigree, he won a Group 2 Silver Slipper Stakes at two and trained on at three to defeat older horses in a Stakes sprint down the straight-six at Flemington.
Headwater has averaged over 140 mares per book since retiring to stud and those numbers have set up a successful career for the phenomenal looking bay at Vinery.
PRESS STATEMENT
Underrated sire Press Statement comes in under the radar at an $8,800 (inc GST) fee this season.
An undefeated Group 1 winner at two who returned to capture the time-honoured Group 1 Caulfield Guineas at three, he sired 15 individual winners in the month leading up to Easter to go Top 5 among Australia’s third crop stallions in the winners and wins categories.
Press Statement’s domestic Stakes winners include Equation (Canberra Guineas LR) and Incredulous Dream (Nitschke Stakes LR) while his off-shore stock are headed by South African Group 2 winner Kitty Cat Chat and Hong Kong winners Free Foal, Steel Win, Hurry Hurry Gain and Packing Famous.
He’s a son of the ill-fated Champion Australian First Season sire Hinchinbrook and is a half-brother to Group 1 winner Pressday and the dam of Sydney Group performer Maurice's Medad.
CASINO PRINCE
Vinery stalwart Casino Prince stands for a $5,500 (inc GST) fee and they don’t come much better for owner-breeders looking for value this season.
Casino Prince has sired 21 individual Stakes winners topped by Vinery Champion All Too Hard and his overall winners-to-runners is bubbling just under a sky-high strike-rate of 70%. His average earnings per starter is over $93,000 (over 18x his fee) and he’s siring multiple winners of the popular Highway and Midway Handicaps in Sydney.
2022 VINERY ROSTER
OLE KIRK $55,000
ALL TOO HARD $38,500
EXCEEDANCE $33,000
STAR TURN $27,500
HEADWATER $16,500
PRESS STATEMENT $8,800
CASINO PRINCE $5,500
Payment on live foal.
All fees include GST.
