Hermitage Thoroughbreds has invested heavily in No Nay Never (USA) and Vancouver and they’ve been impressed with the progress made by its Inglis Easter Yearling Sale purchases by the first-season sires.
Hermitage secured the joint top-priced colt at Easter by No Nay Never, whose first Northern Hemisphere crop has made such an impression, going to $400,000 to buy the youngster named Yiyi out of the draft of Coolmore, where the G1 Prix Morny winner resides.
He is a half-brother to the G1 Australian Oaks winner Unforgotten (Fastnet Rock) with their dam Memories Of You (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) a half-sister to the G1 French 1000 Guineas winner Matiara (USA) (Bering {GB}).
Yiyi as a yearling
“He’s here in work and he’s developed well since the sales and he’s quite precocious,” Hermitage’s Oliver Koolman said.
“We aren’t all that aggressive with our 2-year-olds, but he broke in super and has had three preparations between us and the breaker. He’s quite outstanding and will go to Chris Waller at the end of September.
“He’s quite outstanding and will go to Chris Waller at the end of September.” – Oliver Koolman.
“We also got a Vancouver filly bought with Debbie Kepitis and she’s a beautiful type as well. We’re very happy.”
She was purchased for $600,000, also from the Coolmore draft, and is out of the multiple stakes winner Paprika (General Nediym).
Vancouver x Paprika (filly)
The feedback around the Coolmore trio of No Nay Never, the G1 Golden Slipper S. winner Vancouver and the G1 ATC Sires’ Produce S. winner Pride Of Dubai has been positive and endorsed by breaker Evan Henley, who’s been impressed by the now 2-year-olds he gave early educations to for Coolmore and others.
“The No Nay Nevers are very precocious and good-boned horses. They are very easy to work with, they’ve got great minds and straight forward,” said Henley, whose CV includes 10 years at Ballydoyle with Aidan O’Brien.
“The Vancouvers are easy to work with as well and they are very athletic horses. They’ve got great heads and great minds again. I couldn’t have been happier with them.
“The Pride Of Dubais look like they’ll be early types. They’ve got great backsides and strength and a really good type of horse. You’d be happy to have one by any of the three, they all look like very forward types and suited to Australian racing.”
Pride in youngsters
Peter and Paul Snowden trained the precocious pair of Pride Of Dubai and Outreach and they’ve been impressed with that they’ve seen of their first crop representatives.
Pride Of Dubai won the G1 ATC Sires’ Produce S. and the G1 Blue Diamond S. from a handful of appearances before the son of Street Cry (Ire) was retired to stud.
Outreach | Standing at Widden Stud
“They’ve got good attitudes, very straight forward horses and they’ll keep developing,” Paul Snowden said. “We trained Outreach as well and he was a very good 2-year-old, he was our Slipper horse. “
“They’ve got good attitudes, very straight forward horses and they’ll keep developing.” - Paul Snowden
Unfortunately, serious injury forced the retirement of Outreach, who stands at Widden Stud, after the son of Exceed And Excel had finished runner-up to Vancouver on debut in the G3 Canonbury S.
“We were confident of beating Vancouver that day, but he shattered his hock in four or five different places,” Snowden said.
“His youngsters are strong types and built for speed. It’s a running family and we like them.”
O’Brien impressed
Trainer Danny O’Brien went to $260,000 for a son of Pride Of Dubai at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale out of Widden Stud’s draft and he couldn’t be happier with the colt.
“He’s out at the moment and had a prep over the winter,” he said. “He’s a quality animal, a lovely horse who will be an autumn 2-year-old. He’s very been straight forward.”
Pride Of Dubai x Queen's Fashion (colt)
The colt is out of Queen’s Fashion (Encosta de Lago), a daughter of the former top mare Elegant Fashion (Danewin).
Tracey Bartley prepared black type winner In Good Time (Time Thief) so he didn’t hesitate to go to $90,000 to get his half-sister by Outreach when she was offered at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale by Twin Hills Stud.
“She’s a really nice filly and she’s back in work now,” he said. “She got up to three-quarter speed last time and she’s a nice filly who will gallop this prep. She’ll probably go out then and trial next time around.
“She’s a really nice filly and she’s back in work now.” – Tracey Bartley.
“She’s pretty straight forward and I know the family, that’s why we spent a bit of money to get her.”
The filly is a daughter of the winner Turbo Rose (Wild Release) from the family of the champion South African sprinter Laisserfaire (Danehill {USA}).
Outreach x In Good Time (filly)
Shane Rose, of Bimbadeen Park, has also liked what he has seen of the progeny of Outreach.
“I’ve had a few of those through and they’re nice horses, I think they will run early,” he said. “I quite like the Vancouvers as well. They are big, strong types and should go early.
“I’ve a couple by Headwater and they were pretty straight forward so were the Bull Points I’ve had. The Press Statements were nice types of horses as well.”
Making a statement
Bloodstock agent Brad Spicer purchased two daughters of Press Statement, including his highest-priced yearling bought out of Aquis’ Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft for $340,000.
“She’s had her first prep with Ciaron Maher and she’s an impressive filly,” he said. “She’s not an early running 2-year-old, I’d say late season and 3-year-old classic type. If we take our time we’ll reap the rewards later.
“Anyone who has done anything with her has labelled her and she’s the best filly I have seen at the sales for quite some time.”
Brad Spicer's Press Statement fillies
She is out of the Keep The Faith mare Incredulous, also the dam of the dual Group 2 winner Global Exchange (Dundeel {NZ}), while Spicer’s other Press Statement purchase is out of Kim Classic (Encosta de Lago). She was bought for $32,000 out of Woodside Park’s Inglis Melbourne Gold Sale draft.
“She’s a really nice filly and in the same mould as the other one – a late season 2-year-old,” he said.
Another fan
Vinery Stud’s Press Statement has also won over Toby Pracey from Muskoka Farm.
“I like them, I really do. My first opinion was that they might need a bit of time, but they have improved quickly and they are good movers,” he said.
“I’ve done a few Kermadecs and they were very straight forward. I think they’ll go early and the Exospheres have been quick to improve as well.
“I’ve had a No Nay Never and he impressed me a lot. He’s a lovely horse and could do anything.”
Press Statement | Standing at Vinery Stud
Lindsay Park has also been taken by the first crop of the former champion 2-year-old colt and G1 Golden Slipper S. winner Vancouver.
“The ones we’ve got have a bit of style about them and the Ready For Victorys are nice movers with good temperaments as well,” said Tom Dabernig, who trains with David and Ben Hayes.
Sun Stud’s Ready For Victory won the Listed Festival of Racing S. at Flemington as a 2-year-old and finished fourth in the G1 Golden Slipper S. He also placed in the G1 Caulfield Guineas at three.
“We’ve also got two by Pride Of Dubai in training and they’ve got good actions and one of them should get up and go before Christmas,” Dabernig said.
Inside knowledge
Gerald Ryan trained Spill The Beans, whose five wins featured the G2 BTC Cup before retirement, and he bought the Aquis-based stallion’s top-priced yearling at $280,000 from Segenhoe Stud’s Magic Millions Gold Coast consignment.
“He broke in well and has had a couple of preps at Aquis,” Ryan said. “He’ll come here next week and he’s a big strong horse who looks like he might go early.”
Spill The Beans x Love Of Liberty (colt)
The colt is out of the winning General Nediym mare Love Of Liberty and the family of the G1 Australian Oaks winner Coco Cobanna (NZ) (Casual Lies {USA}).
Kolora Lodge’s Peter McMahon has broken in around 300 youngsters this year and he tipped the first crops of Woodside Park Stud’s Rich Enuff and Aquis’ Spill The Beans to make early impressions.
“The Rich Enuffs I’ve had have all been really nice horses. They’ve got good brains and easy to handle and do anything with,” he said.
“The Rich Enuffs I’ve had have all been really nice horses.” – Peter McMahon.
“They are quite big, rangy horses and he’s definitely throwing good types. All of the ones that have come through here gave me a good feel.
“Spill The Beans has left precocious types and they seemed to be very forward and well balanced. I think you will definitely see him leave early 2-year-olds.”
Spill The Beans | Standing at Aquis Farm
Washpool Lodge’s Kevin Thomas has broken in about 200 horses this year and has also formed good opinions of the first crop youngsters of Rich Enuff and Spill The Beans.
“The Rich Enuffs go well and quite straight forward, I really like them and I think Spill The Beans will go well,” he said.
“They’ve been good to deal with and the Headwaters are big, strong 2-year-olds. The ones we’ve had may need a bit more time. I’ve done a couple of Vancouvers as well and I certainly don’t mind them.”
Smart division
Scone trainer Paul Messara has been pleased with the first representatives of Panzer Division, the G3 Ming Dynasty H. winner who stood a season at his father John’s Arrowfield operation before relocating to Pepper Tree Farm.
“They are going through their paces well. We held onto a few to control their destiny a bit and we’re very pleased with them.
“They’ve made improvement each time they’ve come back in and got good actions. There’s some good whispers around about the Panzer Divisions and that’s all you hope for at this stage, it’s all pretty positive.
"There’s some good whispers around about the Panzer Divisions and that’s all you hope for at this stage, it’s all pretty positive." - Paul Messara
“We’ve broken in a couple by Real Impact and they are tough, workmanlike horses. He’s made a really good start in Japan with eight 2-year-old winners.
“That’s been a pleasant surprise as we didn’t think they would come as early as that so it’s looking good for him.”
Cutting the mustard
Arrowfield resident Scissor Kick also has his first 2-year-olds on track this season and Messara said the ones through his operation had impressed.
Scissor Kick | Standing at Arrowfield Stud
The multiple Group winner’s first representatives have also made an impression on Tamworth breaker Luke Morgan, who has had a busy year, educating more than 200 youngsters.
“I really like them. I’ve done eight or 10 and they’re good-sized yearlings and I think they’ll go very well,” he said.
“I did a couple by Press Statement and they did everything right and I don’t mind the Outreachs either. A couple of his colts I had really gave me the feeling that they will be 2-year-olds, early running types for sure.”
