Vinery staff are finalizing preparations for this weekend’s Stallion Parades and the Stud’s sires have come to the party with a winning start to the new season.

All Too Hard continues to go from strength to strength.  He blew away the rest of the second-season division with a tremendous winner-count in 2017-18 and he will be first third-season sire to break into double figures this weekend.

His promising 3yo Tarka won well enough at Warwick Farm on Wednesday to give trainer David Payne enough confidence to set up a classic campaign.  “Looks like he could be a serious horse,” Payne said after watching his colt lump 61kg over 1600m.  “He’s bred to stay and will go to the Gloaming Stakes, Spring Champion and Victoria Derby.”

Payne won last year’s Gloaming Stakes and Victoria Derby with Ace High and he also has All Too Soon nominated for Race 1 at Rosehill this Saturday in the Hachem Management Hcp (1500m).  She completed a hat-trick at Rosehill in February and jockey Jason Collett reported she worked home very well first-up over 1400m a fortnight ago.

All Too Hard has several over spring prospects at the San Domenico Stakes meeting including All Too Huiying & Za Zi Ba (Race 4) and Outrageous who has opened a $6 second-favourite for the Ming Dynasty Stakes Gr.3.

This Saturday will mark the first of many parades for More Than Ready (USA) prior to his 18th book at Vinery.  A modern-day legend among shuttlers, he has another big weekend ahead starting with State Prosecutor in the $100,000 Peninsula Mile at Belmont on Saturday.

State Prosecutor won the Belmont Guineas LR in June but was sidelined with a hoof abscess after a close second to Come Play With Me in the Belmont Classic LR.  “He’s recovered all right but it’s been five weeks between runs,” Peters said.  “The barrier isn’t ideal but you can’t do much about that.”

His younger brother True Attraction was a most impressive debut winner at Belmont on Wednesday and looks a readymade candidate for the $500,000 WA Guineas Gr.2 in November.

More Than Ready’s Group 1 gallopers Catholic Boy and Funtastic are both engaged for Saratoga’s signature meeting this Saturday.  There are six Group 1 events on the card climaxing with the Travers Stakes (2000m).

Catholic Boy has opened at 8-1 for the Midsummer Derby on dirt following a Group 1 victory in the Belmont Derby on turf last month.  “You only get one chance to run in a Travers,” trainer Jonathan Thomas said.  “He was going through a growth spurt earlier this year but he’s a more mature, stronger young horse now.

“We owe it to him and the clients to give him a shot.  It could have significant ramifications in the stud arena and that’s part of our job as trainers.”

Last-start United Nations Stakes Gr.1 winner Funtastic will attempt another on-pace victory in the Sword Dancer Stakes Gr.1 at the Spa.  “We’ve had this race in mind all along and he’s been working particularly well,” trainer Chad Brown reported this week.  “He’s a light-framed horse so there’s been a little bit of a gap between races.

“I know he surprised a lot of people in the U.N. but he’s legit.  He’s got the pedigree and he doesn’t necessarily need the lead, either.”

More Than Ready’s champion sprinter Roy H will continue his Breeders’ Cup campaign in the Pat O’Brien Stakes Gr.2 at Del Mar on Saturday.

His regular pilot Kent Desormeaux has been replaced by Paco Lopez.  Rockingham Ranch’s racing manager Brian Trump said connections have been pleased with his work, and that trainer Peter Miller wanted to “mix things up” with the rider change.

ALL TOO SOON