Vinery sire Headwater is earning rave reviews for his first foals like the colt that made $170,000 at the Magic Millions National Foal Sale on Friday.

Offered by Noralla Stud, he’s from The Carnival (Encosta de Lago) and was purchased by leading agent James Bester after attracting a number of potential buyers on the Gold Coast.  “He’s a cracking colt and didn’t miss a beat during all the inspections,” delighted vendor Nick Nolan said.  “James reckons he was one of the standouts.

“I’m keen on Headwater.  He was a top-class sprinter with a brilliant pedigree and our colt is a precocious type, too.  He was up and suckling within 20 minutes of being foaled and hasn’t stopped progressing.”

Headwater was bred to fly as a son of champion sire Exceed And Excel and Oakleigh Plate Gr.1 winner River Dove.  He won the Silver Slipper Stakes Gr.2 before returning at three to defeat older horses in the Kensington Stakes LR down the straight at Flemington.

He topped the first-season leader-board at the Inglis Easter Foal Sale last month with a $75,000 colt bought by Andrew Williams who is another fan.  “His foals were some of the best I saw in the Hunter Valley last year,” the Sydney-based agent said at Riverside Stables.  “The one I went after is a forward colt with a lovely action.”

Williams nailed another Headwater at the Gold Coast on Thursday with an $80,000 bid for Vinery’s colt from Legislature (More Than Ready).  The dam is a Group 3 performed sister to Carry On Cutie (AJC Champion Stakes Gr.1).

Sheamus Mills Bloodstock paid $75,000 for a Headwater filly out of NZ stakes winner Dancer’s Tale (Tale of the Cat).  He was acting on behalf of Palya Bloodstock (Ed & Clark McKeon) and Saconi Thoroughbreds (Michael Christian).

Headwater achieved those returns off a $16,500 (inc gst) fee and breeders can book in for the same price this year at Vinery.

The first foals of Vinery sire Press Statement were also popular on the Gold Coast with a colt and filly making $110,000.  The colt from Purcentage (Onemorenomore) was another nice mark-up for Sledmere Stud off a $16,500 (inc gst) fee.

Bluegrass Bloodstock’s Lenny Russo bought the filly from Meridian (Lonhro) for Josh Rodder’s JR Thoroughbreds.  Her second-dam Zanna won a Myer Classic Gr.1 at Flemington.

Mares in foal to Press Statement (13) and Headwater (4) have been catalogued for the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale starting this Tuesday, May 29.

HEAD-TURNER
Headwater colt posing with Noralla Stud’s Jaylee Pitt