show me:

Vinery’s Diamond shines on Day 1 at Inglis

3 minute read

The half-brother to Blue Diamond winner Artorius was a star performer on Day 1 at Easter.

Coolmore’s second $1.4m buy of Day 1 Easter, the half-brother to Artorius. Picture: Inglis

Vinery Stud headed to the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale confident its half-brother to Blue Diamond Stakes winner Artorius was going to be popular and was thrilled when the colt lived up to the hype.

The son of Written Tycoon, who is out of Gracie's Lass, matched the mark for the equal-second highest-priced lot of the day when he sold for $1.4 million.

He was bought by Coolmore's Tom Magnier and Vinery's bloodstock manager Adam White said the inspections stage only confirmed that the colt was going to be popular.

"His pedigree was obviously going to get a lot of the big players around for him," White said.

"He had the pedigree, he had the looks and he's been an absolutely gentleman the whole week.

"We knew we had quite a few of the stallion farms on him and we knew Coolmore were certainly there, they're a strong force, and we're looking forward to him hitting the racetrack."

The colt was bred by Greg Perry, who not only bred Artorius but is also the breeder of Oakleigh Plate winner Marabi among other Group 1 performers.

Gracie's Lass is by Redoute's Choice out of the More Than Ready mare Grace And Power and has had two foals to race.

The first was four-time winner Onemorechoice (Onemorenomore), the second being Artorius (Flying Artie), who won last year's Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes and placed in both the Caulfield Guineas and Coolmore Stud Stakes last spring.

The latter race was won by Coolmore's Home Affairs, who like Artorius is bound for Royal Ascot in June.

"It gives us another reason to look at Artotius when we go over to Royal Ascot," Magnier said.

"He's a lovely type, we've had a lot of luck buying off Vinery in the past with Atlantic Jewel, they're great producers and he was a horse that everybody liked a lot, so fingers crossed we have a nice colt on our hands.

"I think he's horse that's mature, he looks strong and he looks forward."

The Written Tycoon colt was Magnier's second $1.4 million buy for the day following the Snitzel x C'est Beau La Vie colt he purchased as Lot 90.