Turbulent Descent can complete another Group 1 winning week for Vinery sires if, as expected, she is successful in the Acorn Stakes in New York on Saturday.
Turbulent Descent (3f Congrats – Roger’s Sue by Forestry) will starts an odds-on favourite at Belmont Park after building a five from six record. A maiden winner at the Oak Tree meeting in October, she completed a Hollywood Park hat-trick in the LR Moccasin Stakes and G1 Starlet Stakes.
Resuming in February, the Mike Puype trained filly was runner-up to Zazu in the G1 Las Virgenes Stakes at Santa Anita but turned the tables on that filly in the G1 Santa Anita Oaks.
Leaving the California circuit, Turbulent Descent won the G2 Beaumont Stakes at Keeneland on the way to the east coast.
“She’s a brilliant racehorse and she wins with speed to spare,” Puype declared. “It’s hard to say how she’ll handle Belmont, but in my mind, good horses don’t seem to care. They just seem to get it done.”
Turbulent Descent was bred in Florida and cost $160,000 at the Ocala Breeders 2YO Sale in April 2010.
Her sire Congrats (A.P. Indy) won the 2010 North American first-season sires’ premiership with 25 individual winners and Vinery will shuttle him to Australia for a $22,000 fee this year.
“To shuttle a stallion the calibre of Congrats is most exciting,” Vinery’s Peter Orton said. “He is the most magnificent looking stallion and produced high quality stock in his first crop.”
Turbulent Descent will be set for the G1 Test Stakes at Saratoga in August before Puype makes plans for the Breeders’ Cup at Churchill Downs.
Congrats is just one away from already siring a phenomenal 50 winners. Trump Card made it 49 with a last-to-first victory at Calder on May 30.
MORE THAN READY started a winning week for Vinery last Saturday with his South African based colt Gimmethegreenlight.
Sold by Vinery as a foal for $155,000 at the 2009 Magic Millions National Sale, the good-looking colt stormed clear at Greyville to keep his unbeaten record intact.
Gimmethegreenlight (2c More Than Ready – Yes She Can Cancan by Canny Lad) had won at Listed level as part of a hat-trick in Cape Town before travelling to Durban. It was his first time around a turn and on a right-handed track and ensured he will be one of the favourites for the G1 Golden Horseshoe next month.
TESTA ROSSA broke new ground on Monday by siring his first ever stakes winner in New Zealand. His Australian-bred filly Testa Secret had no trouble claiming the Listed Castletown Stakes at Ellerslie.
Testa Rossa will mark another milestone if his brilliant colt Fontelina captures the G1 T J Smith at Eagle Farm on Saturday. The Anthony Cummings trained colt is a last-start winner of the Listed Doomben Slipper.
The Vinery resident has sired 34 stakes winners but the T J Smith will his first 2YO winner at Group 1 level.
Fontelina (2c Testa Rossa – Decipher by Timber Country) was bred by Gerry Harvey’s Baramul Stud and was a $135,000 graduate of the Washpool Lodge draft at the 2010 Magic Millions HIT Sale.
Double Impact (Mossman) and Black Jag (Excites) are other youngsters by Vinery sires with a chance in the T J Smith.
MOSSMAN is double-handed with Love Conquers All and Buffering in the G1 Stradbroke Hcp at Eagle Farm. Vinery’s leading son of Success Express deserves a change of luck with the Nick Moraitis owned Love Conquers.
Love Conquers All (4h Mossman – She’s A Meanie by Prince Salieri) has been runner-up in G1 company at his last three starts in the Doomben 10,000, Doncaster Mile and George Ryder Stakes
Buffering (3g Mossman – Action Annie by Anabaa) is owned by former Socceroos Zjelko Kalac, Craig Moore and Scott Chipperfield and cost just $22,000 at the 2009 Magic Millions QTIS 600 Yearling Sale.
Buffering required a vet test after failing in the Doomben 10,000 but can more than make amends in the Stradbroke. He is unbeaten in three starts at Eagle Farm including the G2 Victory Stakes in April.