With nearly half the racing season completed, progeny earnings from Vinery based sires have reached a staggering $ 16.596. million.

There is not much between Testa Rossa and Mossman, about $300.000; however, if Unencumbered can add the Golden Slipper Stakes to his already impressive record, his sire would have unassailable lead.

It has been a great effort for the stud, the management and the staff, at the leading breeding farm, that is really on the crest of a wave at present.

Myboycharlie has a future Group filly in Peggy Jean; she turned in a big performance when defeating Boomwaa in the Inglis Classic, at Randwick.

While Excites, by Danewin, continues to chip away, with a minimum of fuss, he is a nice horse and is currently on a roll shown by recent results.

Mossman is doing the job expected of him, he just continues to sire winners , a double on Saturday, per medium of Corporate Takeover at Flemington, and the win of Party Dress at Randwick.

Corporate Takeover by Mossman winning at Flemington 

What a day for Vinery! Winners rolled in from all directions, it hardly gets any better than that.

The big guns were out in force with four of the sires, located at the Hunter Valley Stud, reaching the ultimate, siring winners. 

Tessa Rossa was the star of the team, the day began well for him with Caprossa winning at Warwick Farm, and an hour later Unencumbered stamped himself as the best juvenile, in the southern hemisphere, in winning the Magic Millions Two Year Old Classic.

Mossman got the ball rolling when Pink Perfection won the opening race at Warwick Farm, while both, More Than Ready and Myboycharlie, sired winners at Morphettville.

However, Saturday was all about Testa Rossa, a very good racehorse who made the transition to the breeding farm with great success, a very much underrated sire.

Testa Rossa is by Perugino, a well bred son of Danzig,he was a three quarter brother to Saddlers Wells, Fairy King and Tate Gallery.

Perugino was imported to Australia by the late Colin Hayes with his partner, the late Robert Sangster, to stand at their Collingrove Stud, Nagambie.

The only horse of any note sired by Perugino was Testa Rossa, he was without question one of the best colts of his year.

He finished second to Redoute’s Choice in the Caulfield Guineas in what was a memorable Guineas, as the placegetters, Redoute’s Choice, Testa Rossa and Commands, have since sired winners of $212.784 million between them.

Testa Rossa has continued with his good season providing winners yesterday at Caulfield, with Our Hand Of Faith, and Bo Rossa at Eagle Farm, while More Than Ready was responsible for the Canterbury winner, More Than Brave.

The success of Big Brown over the week-end, through the win of Mighty Brown in the Pasco Stakes in Florida, draws attention to his progeny at the Magic Millions Sales this week.

Big Brown, a Kentucky Derby winner, could easily sire a Kentucky Derby winner himself, he is travelling in the right direction.

The Pasco Stakes is the first of the Tampa Bay stakes for three year olds leading into the Kentucky Derby, to be decided in May.

Following the Pasco Stakes is the Sam F Davis, in early February over 1700 metres, the first leg of a $1 million bonus.

Big Brown was an exceptional racehorse as his record shows; he only suffered one defeat in eight starts, with four Group 1 wins to his credit.

He has an excellent draft of 20 lots representing Vinery at the Magic Millions Sales

Big Brown - Kentucky Derby Winner.

Among The Stars

       At The

Magic Millions Sales

Lot 8 Bay Colt (Aug 3 by SNITZELfrom Ready Miss by More Than Ready, first foal from a city winning mare, from the same family of Spark Of Life dual Group 1 dual Manikato Stakes success.

Lot 608 Bay Colt (Aug 21) by CONGRATS sire of 169 runners, 128 winners (75 %) from Nakaaya by Tiger Hill, first foal dam won 5 wins $243,451 inc. MVRC Group 2 Sunline Stakes.

Lot 656 Bay Filly (July 29) by BIG BROWN won Kentucky Derby, from Prerequisite by Charge Forward, first foal, dam dual city winner a half sister to Gold Trail Group 1 AJC Shorts.

Lot 891 Bay Filly (Aug 9) by BIG BROWN won Kentucky Derby, from Miltary Blonde by General Nediym, winning dam, first foal , from a half sister to Be Positive 4 wins, won and placed at Group 3.

Sistine Demon has struck a purple patch of form winning four races on end, and at the same giving his sire, Excites, a great boost.

Whilst it has all been put together late in the season, for breeding purposes an old proverb says “better late than never,” there is always next season.

Excites, the sire of Sistine Demon, is a lovely style of thoroughbred with stacks of charisma, you seldom look elsewhere when you see the son of Danewin.

He has quite an intriguing pedigree, his fifth dam, Choke, was one of Alec Hunter’s very good mares, she was from the Isa branch of Teppo, who foaled to The Welkin, the three full sisters Isa, Deneb and Trey, were responsible for two Melbourne Cup winners Trivalve and Hall Mark.

Ernest Clarke, of Melton Park, was about to give up on breeding thoroughbreds he ran into more trouble that the early settlers.

An old jumps jockey, Jack Brewer, who was down on his uppers, called into see Clarke, who revealed his tale of woe that he was giving up the business of horse breeding.

Without blinking an eye he asked Clarke for 5000 guineas, (the value of 10 homes in suburbia), to go over to the U K to buy horses for Melton Park

Brewer almost fell off his chair when Clarke handed over the cheque; it included his passage both ways.

With the cheque safely tucked away in his pocket Brewer set out on his mission, months passed by, he finally returned with a stallion and four mares, within four years Clarke became the leading breeder in the state of Victoria.

The stallion was The Welkin, national leading sire three times, Teppo, Light, the dam of Gloaming, Lady Roberts, she left winners of 10 Group 1 races, and Wilga, she proved a success when mated to The Welkin, she produced Kanooka, the dam ofWinooka.

Excites - At Vinery