Vinery sire Mossman is off to a flying start with his current crop of two year-olds. Promising colt Travaldo became his latest juvenile winner this season after repelling several challenges in the $50,000 Inglis Bonus 2YO Hcp (1200m) at Canberra on Sunday.
Travaldo (2g Mossman-Screen Jester by Rory’s Jester) went through the sale ring twice before entering Mark de Montfort’s stable. He made $22,000 at the 2008 Inglis Australian weanling sale and then $38,000 when re-offered at the 2009 Inglis Classic yearling sale.
Connections will now set him for the $250,000 Inglis Nursery on December 19. “Quite a few of the owners have never raced a horse before, so it’s a huge thrill,” syndicate manager Graham Daley said. “And it’s fantastic to win a bonus in the Inglis Series, which is a great concept.”
Mossman’s latest crop jumped out of the blocks when the babies began racing on October 3.
Mafia Miss (2f Mossman – Omerta Blue by Sunday Silence) earned black-type on debut when she was beaten a nose by Gybe in the Listed AJC Gimcrack Stakes at Randwick. Trainer Graeme Begg tipped her straight out with a view to the autumn features.
Stirling Grove (2g Mossman – Kalamata by Desert Prince) streaked clear to win by nine lengths later that day in Adelaide. The Richard Jolly trained youngster clocked 57.24s over 1000 metres! He is from a Listed winner of the Waikato Stud Stakes at Wanganui.
A fortnight later, Agister (2c Mossman – Satyric by Danehill) carried Geoff and Beryl White’s colours to an all-the-way victory at Randwick. The Vinery sire got him from a winning daughter of champion mare Triscay.
Mossman has built up a brilliant 62% winners-to-runners strike rate with stakes winners the quality of Our Sweet Moss, Segments, Love Conquers All, Mosstang and Pure Energy.
Love Conquers All was a Listed winner of the Brian Crowley Stakes at Randwick on the same day Agister saluted at headquarters. He is trained by John Hawkes for Nick Moraitis.
Mossman was raced by Peter Moran and was a G1 winner of the Castlemaine Stakes at Eagle Farm before resuming as a three year-old to claim LR The Debonaire at Flemington and the G2 AAMI Vase at Moonee Valley.
Mossman had 117 foals in the spring of 2007. Apart from the four mentioned, he has also sired the placegetters Hoofit and Whisprian from 8 to race from that crop to date.
Mossman is a son of G1 Breeders’ Cup juvenile winner Success Express and stands for a $13,200 fee at Vinery.
Friesan Fire ready to Fly
Vinery Australia wll be keeping a close tabs on Friesan Fire when he returns to racing at Fair Grounds in New Orleans on Friday morning (Australian time).
The G2 Louisiana Derby winner has been sidelined for six months and will be saddled up for the first time by champion trainer Steve Asmussen. He was previously prepared by recent retiree Larry Jones.
Friesan Fire is by Champion US stallion A P Indy out of the Australian bred Dehere mare Bollinger and is raced by Vinery Stables and Fox Hill Farms. His dam was a G1 winner of the Coolmore Classic while second dam Bint Marscay (Marscay) was a G1 winner of the STC Golden Slipper.
Bollinger is a half-sister to G3 VATC Blue Diamond Prelude winner Mannington (Danehill). She is the dam of G1 Victoria Derby winner Benicio (More Than Ready), who stands at Vinery, and G2 winning filly Romneya (Red Ransom).
Friesan Fire’s ability and pedigree make a compelling case for him to shuttle between Vinery’s Kentucky and Hunter Valley studs.
He started a 7/2 favourite in the G1 Kentucky Derby after sweeping the G3 Lecomte St, G3 Risen Star St and G2 Louisiana Derby by 7 lengths at Fair Grounds earlier this year.
Unfortunately, he was bumped leaving the barriers at Churchill Downs and was then badly checked twice in transit. He proceeded to the G1 Preakness Stakes but pulled up with a stress fracture in his near foreleg.
Friesan Fire will be racing first-up against older rivals over 1640 metres at Fair Grounds. The colt has been flying in recent workouts over 1200m (1.12.60s) and 800m (49.60s).
Friesan Fire has drawn the rails in Friday’s allowance event that has also attracted the stakes winners Good And Lucky (Wild Rush) and Glamour Guy (E Dubai).
Kodiak Kowboy retired to Vinery
Vinery will add Kodiak Kowboy to its Lexington roster for 2010. He bowed out of racing with a G1 victory in the Cigar Mile at Aqueduct on November 28 for owners Tom Simon (Vinery) and Rock Porter (Fox Hill Farm).
Kodiak Kowboy (4h Posse – Kokadrie by Coronado’s Quest) is a prime candidate for end-of-year honours. He also won the G1 Carter Handicap at Aqueduct, G1 Vosburgh Stakes at Belmont Park and LR Donald Levine Memorial at Philadelphia this year.
All up, Kodiak Kowboy won or was placed in 18 of his 23 starts for earnings of $1.66 million. He was a G2 winner of the Special Stakes at Saratoga and Bashford Manor Stakes at Churchill Downs as a two year-old. He added the G2 Amsterdam Stakes at Saratoga and G3 Sport Page Hcp at Belmont as a three year-old.
Bred in Kentucky at Hartwell Farm, Kodiak Kowboy is by Posse, a Vice Regent-line sire who stands in New York. His dam is a half-sister to the Gone West Group 1 winner West by West.