Vinery first-season sire Star Turn has got his career as a stallion off to a strong start with his progeny performing in some of the most lucrative early juvenile races and on Saturday, the son of Star Witness secured a major milestone when Miss Hipstar became his first winner.
Trained by Kelly Schweida, Miss Hipstar made a winning debut in an 1100 metre event for 2-year-old fillies, as she led from point to post to score an 0.5l win.
Star Turn is also responsible for Astrologer, who finished third in the G3 Breeders’ Plate, and Mortal Witness, who was fourth in the R. Listed Inglis Banner as well as two other placegetters from just six runners.
Peter Orton, General Manager of Vinery Stud, said he was delighted for Star Turn to finally get off the mark and land his first winner after his string of unlucky placings.
“It was wonderful to get that winner up because obviously he’s been going very well,” he told TDN AusNZ. “With those placings, he was very unlucky not to have won those races so to get that winner on the board was very important.”
Star Turn became the seventh first-season stallion to sire a winner so far this season and Orton said he believes that he stacks up in a talented crop of young sires.
“I think the stats are what they are but to see the quality of the horses he’s had running and the placegetters, you can see that they’re eminent winners, but all the horses that have been presented to the races, they all look to have above-average ability,” Orton said.
“So his prospects are looking very good up against a very good field of first-season horses.”
“His prospects are looking very good up against a very good field of first-season horses.” - Peter Orton
Off the back of his impressive early results and positive feedback from his first crop of juveniles, Orton said Star Turn has reaped the rewards in the breeding barn.
“Certainly in the last month he has picked up a lot of mares,” Orton said. “He went through the sales earlier this year and they sold particularly well and he’d built great momentum but the break from COVID-19 knocked that momentum a but.
“What’s good to see is that they’re very nice horses but they’ve still got to get out there and prove it and he’s certainly getting out the and proving it now.”
Star Turn | Standing at Vinery Stud
Couldn't be happier
Meanwhile, fellow young Vinery sire Exceedance is completing his first season and Orton said the farm couldn’t be any happier with how the son of Exceed And Excel is progressing.
“Exceedance is phenomenal,” Orton said. “He’s covering his mares particularly well, his fertility is extraordinary and he’s developed into the most magnificent horse you’ll see.”
On the flip side, their older stallion All Too Hard more popular than ever before off the back of a career-best year which has featured the feats of Group 1 winners Alligator Blood and Behemoth.
Orton said his ability to produce winners at all levels has made his a popular choice for breeders of any type.
“He is very popular because he just gets so many winners every day and he has so many runners,” Orton said. “He is doing particularly well and he’s establishing himself as a really genuine sire of runners and winners and has proved he can get a top-liner as well.
“He’s been super popular this year and commercially they’re holding up.
“Nice horses bring nice money and it’s good for breeders. He’s a lovely, big horse and he’s got a good book of mares and he’s handling the season really well.”
All Too Hard | Standing at Vinery Stud
Once his racing career is over, Vinery will also be adding G1 Golden Rose and G1 Caulfield Guineas winner Ole Kirk (Written Tycoon) to its roster, and Orton said the huge acquisition was a testament to the hard work they have done in developing a quality roster.
“We’ve certainly worked hard to get some good, hard, young and genuine horses that we truly believe in and our momentum is going really well with our young horses performing well,” he said.
“It’s a great opportunity and great timing to get a horse of the calibre of Ole Kirk. What we’re looking for in a stallion, he just ticks every box.
“He’s by a very good stallion that’s just winning everything at the moment, he’s an outcross which put extra values on him. He’s won Group 1 races, but the premier Group 1 races up against good, quality horses so there have been no easy wins there at all, and he’s got one of the most active pedigrees in the Australian Stud Book at the moment.
“When you’re spending a lot of money on these horses, they’re the things you’ve got to have for a good base value. He’ll have a great opportunity, he’s got a great ownership group with leading breeders and this horse is in for a great opportunity.”
