Written by Trent Masenhelder
Cover image courtesy of Richard Jolly Racing
It is hard not to be impressed with the impression Yulong’s foundation stallion, Grunt (NZ), has made during his fledgling career at stud. The dual Group 1 winner already has a stakes winner, Veight, from six runners to hit the track, and his progeny have realised up to $300,000 in 2023.
The Team McEvoy-trained Veight looks to have stacks of ability, having bolted in over 1200 metres on debut at Pakenham in February, before claiming the G2 VRC Sires’ Produce S. (1400 metres) at Flemington on Saturday at just his second start.
Father-daughter training duo, Richard and Chantelle Jolly, are big fans of Grunt, and on Wednesday they went to $90,000 for Lot 264 at the Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale. The Grunt filly, who was bred by Goldin Australia, was offered by Cornerstone Stud and is out of winning Encosta De Lago mare Pandoro De Lago (Ire).
Lot 264 - Grunt (NZ) x Pandoro De Lago (Ire) (filly) | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“She just had overall athleticism and a great personna about her,” Chantelle Jolly told TDN AusNZ.
“She has good length, good rein on her and good legs on her.
“She really caught our eye, we actually went and saw her up at the farm at Cornerstone before she came down here (to the complex). She was my favourite horse here on the complex.”
“She (Lot 264) really caught our eye, we actually went and saw her up at the farm at Cornerstone before she came down here (to the complex). She was my favourite horse here on the complex.” - Chantelle Jolly
Jolly revealed she expected the filly would make six figures and potentially exceed their budget.
“I thought she would probably be out of our budget, I thought she would go for over $100,000, so we were rapt to get her,” Jolly explained.
“To get her at that price… we’re very happy.”
Grunt (NZ) | Standing at Yulong
Jolly likens the filly to a 4-year-old gelding currently in their stable, the three-time winner and Group 3 placegetter Karacasu (Headwater).
“She has got the potential to get up and going early, but I reckon she will make a better 3-year-old,” Jolly said.
“She reminds me a lot of Karacasu, she has the same sort of build as him… a good head, good eye and a lovely relaxed walk. That’s who she reminded me of when I first saw her.
“She (Lot 264) reminds me a lot of Karacasu, she has the same sort of build as him… a good head, good eye and a lovely relaxed walk. That’s who she reminded me of when I first saw her.” - Chantelle Jolly
“He (Karacasu) went early.”
A lot to like
The filly becomes the third horse by Grunt to join the Morphettville-based stable. The Jollys paid $40,000 for Lot 108 at the 2022 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale. The then-colt, who has been gelded and named Geeijo, was consigned by Yarran Thoroughbreds and is from the five-time winner Mistifies (Perugino {USA}).
Lot 135 - Grunt (NZ) x It's Exclusive (colt) | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
And, on Tuesday, they spent $50,000 on Lot 135 - a Grunt colt from It’s Exclusive (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}), who was offered by Glenn Lee Thoroughbreds.
“We’ve got a Grunt 2-year-old called Geeijo and he has had a jump-out and won it quite impressively, which was good,” said Jolly.
“They’re (Grunt’s progeny) big, athletic horses and that’s what we’ve seen in her (Lot 264) as well.
“They’re (Grunt’s progeny) big, athletic horses and that’s what we’ve seen in her (Lot 264) as well.” - Chantelle Jolly
“We bought another Grunt (yearling), a colt, here, so we definitely like them.”
The filly’s dam is a half-sister to the stakes winners Marbush (Ire) (Linamix {Fr}) and Sublimity (Fr) (Selkirk {USA}), while other black-type scorers on her page include Odysseus (USA) (Malibu Moon {USA}) and Once Around (Can) (You And I {USA}).
“We know the dam can produce winners, so that’s a good sign, and being out of an Encosta De Lago mare, there is good residual value there,” Jolly commented.
