Juvenile summary: Ole Kirk and Lucky Vega strike early

Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything

King Kirk gives Ole Kirk the perfect start

Last season, Vinery Stud’s Exceedance had the perfect start to his stud career with an early stakes winner in Dublin Down, and the farm has done it again in 2024/25 with the first runner of Group 1 winner Ole Kirk, King Kirk, taking out the G3 Breeders’ Plate in fine style.

The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable continued on their form from last season too providing the trifecta in the race showing that having four of the eight runners in the race could provide their owners with results.

North England (Farnan) led down the rail by a couple of lengths for jockey Tim Clark and was just swamped on the line from the fast-finishing pair of King Kirk, who flew down the middle of the track for jockey Rachel King, with Tempestuous (Extreme Choice) splitting the two of them for second with the official margin being 0.2l with another 0.09l to third.

“He's a lovely horse. Everything that he's done to date has just been very professional. He got a bit further back than expected today in the run, and it was a great effort to pick them up there in the final strides. Exciting horse going forward and rightly so, they (owners) should all be excited,” said co-trainer Adrian Bott.

“I think he's a Magic Millions horse, so I'd say that's, first and foremost, the main target for him. We'll look to give him a spell now and work back from there. And obviously, big picture you're always looking for the Golden Slipper.”

For Ole Kirk to have a pre-Christmas juvenile is a little surprising, given that he didn’t race until February of his own 2-year-old season, winning the Listed Talindert S. on debut. Ole Kirk was much better at three, winning the G1 Golden Rose and G1 Caulfield Guineas.

“He's smart. He's got a brain to go with the talent, which is nice to see. Not many 2-year-olds would do that first start. He was a little bit revved today, he knew what it was about, he switched on from the trials, but I loved the way he came back under me, relaxed, took a nice deep breath around the corner, and I knew he was going to be strong late. He really deserved that,” said jockey Rachel King.

“There's plenty more to come. He got past the horses on his inside and wandered a touch. He's still learning how to really put them away. So, he's going to go out and strengthen up, and be bigger and stronger.”

A $200,000 purchase by Redwall Bloodstock from Rosari Farm at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast National Weanling Sale, King Kirk was then reoffered by Widden Stud at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale where he sold to My Racehorse Pty/Ltd, Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott and Belmont Bloodstock Agency (FBAA) for $300,000.

He is out of Nicconi mare Oxford Angel who won twice and is a half-sister to Listed Winter S. winner Oxford Poet (Dylan Thomas {Ire}) who won eight races and placed in the G3 Hall Mark S, and to Listed placed winner of three races Oxford Heart (Lion Heart {USA}). Another half-sister is the winning dam of Listed Lonhro Plate-placed winner Oxford Tycoon (Written Tycoon). This family traces back to the family of Quack (Magic Ring {Ire}) whose descendants include recent Listed Heritage S. winner Perspiration (Too Darn Hot {GB}).

Gallery: Images courtesy of The Image Is Everything

As for the other Waterhouse/Bott runners, Bott said, “It's a bit of a relief there, when you have a representation that they perform well, which they all did. Very proud of them all. I'll have to go back and watch that again and individualise the runs there, but I thought it was a great effort from all of them.”

Slipper plans for straight forward filly Bel Merci after Gimcrack win

Bel Mer (Bel Esprit), winner of the G1 Robert Sangster S., celebrated the success of her second stakes winner when Bel Merci (Extreme Choice) stormed to victory in Saturday’s G3 Gimcrack S. on debut, winning by 1.39l for trainer John Thompson and jockey Chad Scholfield. Scholfield delivered a polished ride along the rails, holding Bel Merci steady before unleashing a powerful sprint with just 50 metres to go, securing an effortless win. The Bjorn Baker-trained O’Ole (Ole Kirk) finished second, narrowly missing a spectacular start to Ole Kirk’s stud career following King Kirk's victory in the prior race. Peter Snowden-trained Memo (Capitalist) claimed third.

“She's just a natural. She jumped out here before the Official 2YO Trials. She was 6l in front around the home corner and won by 12 (lengths) in her jump-out. She's just a natural 2-year-old with ability,” said Thompson.

“She's a lovely filly. I'm just so rapt for the breeders, Bell River (Thoroughbreds), just a lovely filly. She's a star, don't worry about that. She's not trained up at all, that's not me. That's just pure, natural ability there. Spell, Slipper.”

A half-sister to Listed winner All Too Royal (All Too Hard), Bel Merci was withdrawn as a yearling by Bell River Thoroughbreds who now race her in a large partnership. Ferguson Bloodstock purchase Bel Mer as a 16-year-old mare at the 2020 Magic Millions May Online Sale for $70,000 from Goldin Farm, who had purchased her at the Patinack Farm dispersal in 2014 for $850,000. Patinack Farm originally bought the Group 1 winner for $1.05 million as a broodmare prospect back in 2010. It was a good pickup for Bell River, being an older proven mare, and now they have a Group-winning daughter to add to the broodmare band.

Bel Mer is a full sister to Listed winner Ken Arok, and to winning mare Found The One, dam of dual Group 3 winner Sylvia’s Mother (Snitzel). Both Bel Mer’s dam and second dam are stakes winners being Drop Anchor (At Talaq {USA}) and Marine Park (Sir Dapper) respectively.

Bel Merci becomes the 14th stakes winner for Extreme Choice who has only just ticked over the 100-runner mark, giving him a sensational ratio of stakes winners to runners.

Tremonti gives Waterhouse and Bott interstate juvenile double

The mighty Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable know how to train a juvenile or two and they continued their great run of fortune from last season with an interstate stakes double thanks to King Kirk in the G3 Breeders’ Plate in Sydney and the Listed Maribyrnong Trial S. win of 2-year-old colt Tremonti (Hellbent) at Flemington.

Tremonti hugged the rail for jockey Jye McNeil and took the lead with 100 metres to go, then was headed by Lindsay Park trained Shining Smile (Spirit Of Boom) for jockey Daniel Stackhouse who looked to have the race won by a long neck when Tremonti lifted again and fought back to reverse the placings and win in a tough effort by 0.4l. Anthony and Sam Freedman trained Price Tag (Zoustar) was third.

“That's made my day. Because I love the way when he was beaten, he just came again and showed such tenacity,” Waterhouse said. “I love that with a horse. I really do.

“And perhaps drawing the right marble early in the week, Jye McNeil was smart enough to take advantage of gate one to just give him that guiderail. He's got the fence there. It gives him a big help, especially with these horses coming from interstate.”

Waterhouse and Bott sent him south as they already had four runners in the G3 Breeders' Plate in Sydney. “Well, we had three or four of the Breeders… we thought that he would be very well-placed,” she said.

“He ran second (in a trial) behind the horse that was favourite in the Breeders' (Tuscany). They ran the fastest time, so we thought he'd represent the stable very well here. He'll probably go to the paddock, but he may wait for the Maribyrnong Plate. I'll just speak to Adrian and see what he wants to do.”

Tremonti becomes the sixth stakes winner for Hellbent, and the second stakes winner for All Too Hard as a broodmare sire. The colt was a $180,000 purchase by Darby Racing from the Redbank North draft at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

Gallery: Images courtesy of The Image Is Everything

Tremonti is the first foal of Quachita (All Too Hard) who had just the two starts, and there is plenty of juvenile form in this maternal pedigree with Quachita being a half-sister to G1 Sistema S.-placed Tulsi (The Autumn Sun) who also placed in the G1 NZ 1000 Guineas at three last season. Tulsi and Quachita are out of winning mare Talimena (Lonhro) who is a three-quarter sister to Group 1 winner and sire Denman. Talimena is a half-sister to Champion 2YO Filly and G1 Golden Slipper winner Kiamichi (Sidestep) and Listed Tasmanian Derby winner Cossetot (Epaulette). Denman’s half-sister Preserve (Canny Lad) won the G1 VRC Sires’ Produce S. and is the dam of group winners Safeguard (Exceed And Excel) and Archives (Helmet).

Yulong’s Lucky Vega gets the perfect start in New Zealand

Yulong Stud’s Lucky Vega (Ire) smashed the G1 Phoenix S. field by 3.5l as a juvenile at just his third start, and the farm likely had high expectations for the son of Lope De Vega (Ire) at stud. He gave them the perfect reward for their investment with his first runner in one of the season’s earliest juvenile races running away as a winner.

Ben and Ryan Foote trained 2-year-old colt Vega For Luck (NZ) won by 1.3l over the 950-metre trip for jockey Vinnie Colgan. He sat on the rail and was headed by Te Akau Racing’s Dare To Proisir (NZ) (Proisir) with 100 metres to go but dug deep to pull away from the gelding and win nicely with the fast-finishing filly Luminance (NZ) (Time Test {GB}) snagging second on the line.

Lucky Vega also ran second in the G1 Middle Park S. at two, and took on the classics at three, running third in the G1 English 2000 Guineas and fourth in the Irish version. Runner up in the G1 St James’ Palace S., he retired to shuttle between Yulong in Victoria and the Irish National Stud where his oldest crop are yearlings.

When he retired, Yulong noted that his sire, Lope De Vega, had crossed well with Danehill (USA)-line mares, saying “It might not have escaped Australian breeders’ attention that Lope De Vega proved to be a good foil for Danehill blood, either. Gytrash and Santa Ana Lane are both out of Fastnet Rock mares, while Vega Magic’s maternal grandam was by Danewin.”

And they might be onto something with Vega For Luck being the first foal of Darci Brahma (NZ) mare Badea (NZ), bringing in a line of Danehill through Darci Brahma. Owned by Sammy Ma, Vega For Luck was sold by Inglewood Stud for NZ$60,000 at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale.

Badea won twice in New Zealand and is a half-sister to G3 Eulogy S. winner Lilikoi (NZ) (Charm Spirit {Ire}). Lucky Vega’s precocity is multiplied by the presence of Vega For Luck’s third dam, Champion 2YO Filly In Ireland and GB, Damson (Ire) (Entrepreneur {GB}). She won the G1 Phoenix S, the same race Lucky Vega won, and is the dam of G2 Flying Childers S. winner Requinto (Ire) (Dansili {GB}), and the ancestress of Australian Group 1 winner and globe trotter Dubai Honour (Ire) (Pride Of Dubai) and several other stakes winners.

Cheap online purchase defies price to win on debut

Zousain continued last season’s good start with 2-year-old gelding Betterlucknexttime winning on debut at Doomben on Saturday in the QTIS 2YO Plate. The Liam Birchley trained gelding flew home down the centre of the track for jockey Nikita Beriman to win by 1.1l from the fast-finishing Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained colt Crown The King (Time To Reign) who nearly gave his first-season sire the perfect beginning as he showed impressive finishing speed to come from mid-field. In third was the Stuart Kendrick-trained colt Luva Flutta (Spirit Of Boom).

“He’s a beauty, this little bloke. We only paid four and a half grand online or something like that,” said Birchley. “I thought it was a steal. He hasn’t had a minute’s trouble with him, he’s been fantastic.” Birchley will see how he pulls up before making a decision but it’s likely that he’ll go to the paddock for a bit more growing.

Betterlucknexttime was first offered by Daandine Stud at the Magic Millions National Sale as a weanling where he sold for $7000 to PT Thoroughbreds, then he went through the Inglis Digital August Sale in 2023 as a just turned one yearling where he was bought by his current owner S Skilton for $3750.

This sale occurred before Zousain had a runner, and with the way his first crop went last season, it was clever buying in hindsight. Zousain now has 18 winners, led by Drifting who won the G3 Magic Night S. at two and the G3 Quezette S. in her return to the races this season at three.

Betterlucknexttime’s dam, Flamenco Girl (Snitzel) was a good juvenile herself winning once and placing in the Listed Calaway Gal S. behind Flamenco (Sequalo) which would’ve been an interesting quinella for the race caller! She has been a solid broodmare with her first foal being G3 Ottawa S.-placed winner Marchena (Deep Field), while her second foal is Roaring Thunder (Sebring), a winner of three races. Betterlucknexttime is her fourth foal and third winner from as many to race.

Flamenco Girl’s dam, Dance Girl Dance (Made Of Gold) won seven races and was three-times Listed placed. She is a half-sister to Group 2 winner Hollowlea (Hidden Dragon).