Vinery Stud Australian Division to Sell Mares and Weanlings

By Ric Chapman

The Australian arm of Dr. Tom Simon's massive Vinery Stud organization, announced on Friday it will sell all its mares and weanlings through the Inglis Sales company in Sydney. The bloodstock will be sold with the mares going through on the first day of the broodmare sale (April 3) and the weanlings being sold during the traditional Australian select weanling sale in May.

Early estimates have the livestock valued at around A$22 million (U.S.$17 million). Their sale represents an unprecedented opportunity for rival farms to cash in on some of the finest bloodstock in Australia. But, warns Vinery's managing director Peter Orton, it doesn't mean the farm is closing down. "In fact, quite the opposite," he said. "We are opening the farm to outside clients and making it more commercial." This statement closes the door on much industry innuendo about the farm in Australia being up for sale.

"Obviously if offers came along, Tom would look at them as any businessman would," Orton said., "but at present Vinery Stud will continue to operate independently, standing its current exciting line up of stallions headed by Red Ransom, More Than Ready. and Mossman. The farm will continue to exist and care for client bloodstock, thus running as a more public stud rather than the semi-private farm it has been with Dr. Simon's bloodstock. This creates the opportunity for many more breeders to base their mares in the heart of the Hunter Valley on one of the most respected Thoroughbred studs in Australasia."

The Vinery broodmare band represents one of the best collections of young mares to be offered at public auction for many years. Headed by names such as Mannington, Euphoria, Rose of Danehill, Rose O'War, Lady Jakeo, French Bid, Zacheline, Damaschino, and Sorrento the band has 20 individual group or listed winners and 13 producers of stakes winners. The strength of their female families is evident by the fact there are 17 half or full relations to group 1 victors including Golden Slipper winners Belle Du Jour and Merlene as well as Shogun Lodge, Bollinger (who is now in the U.S. in foal to Gone West), Zeditave, Assertive Lad, and Assertive Lass.

The mares are sired by some of the highest credentialed and most recognized Australian and international broodmare sires including Anabaa, Bletchingly, Bluebird, Canny Lad, Centaine, Danehill, Danzig, Darshaan, Dehere, Flying Spur, Gulch, Kingmambo, Last Tycoon, Marauding, Marscay, Miswaki, Red Ransom, Rory's Jester, Sadler's Wells, Snippets, Straight Strike, Zabeel, and Zafonic.

The Vinery mares are in foal to stallions such Anabaa, Brahms, Dehere, Flying Spur, French Deputy, Fusaichi Pegasus , King's Best, More Than Ready , Mossman, Red Ransom, Success Express, and Way of Light, ensuring their impressive produce records continue.