Testa Rossa has been based at Vinery since 2006 but his second crop of Hunter Valley bred yearlings will be embraced like home-grown products at the 2010 Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale.

The Oaklands Junction sale starts on March 1 with 12 Testa Rossa yearlings.  Vinery has catalogued four and other vendors include Toolooganvale, Phoenix Broodmare Farm, Makybe, Kia Ora, Eliza Park and Burnewang North Pastoral with one apiece while his former base at Yallambee has two for sale.

Testa Rossa rates as one Victoria’s greatest sprinter-milers of the last decade winning a half-dozen Group 1 events for owner John Cappellin and trainer Dean Lawson.

At last count, he has sired 289 winners at a marvellous 71% winning strike-rate and among them are 25 stakes winners.

This time last year, his star filly Rostova was all the rage winning the Blue Diamond Preview (LR) and Prelude (G3).  She choked down the Blue Diamond final chasing flying colt Reward For Effort but bounced back to win the VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (G2) by three lengths.

Things didn’t go according to plan for the Steve Richards trained filly as a spring three year-old, however, she returned to racing looking like a million dollars on the G3 Rubiton Stakes last Saturday.

Rostova (3f Testa Rossa – Space Talk by Anabaa) faced a field of seasoned sprinters first-up at Caulfield and she flew home to grab third spot beaten les than a length by Here de Angels.  

Connections will find a suitable race for her this month and that will be a timely reminder prior to the Premier Sale.

Tio Rossa can boost Testa Rossa on another front when she starts in the G2 Fillies Classic at Moonee Valley on February 26.  The Colin and Cindy Alderson trained filly is a last start winner of the Listed Strutt Stakes at Elwick.

Tio Rossa (3f Testa Rossa – Tio Belle by Zabeel) was bred by the Aldersons and they also have the option of starting their filly in the Listed Tasmanian Oaks next week.

Tio Rossa produced a barnstorming finish to overpower her rivals on Hobart Cup day.  “Dad was born in Tassie so we have always hoped to win a decent race here,” Cindy Alderson said.  “She goes very well at Moonee Valley and we’re more inclined to stay at home at this stage.”