Unraced Ole Kirk gelding shines at the trials
Unraced Ole Kirk gelding shines at the trials
Tiberius, an unraced gelding by Vinery Stud’s in-form first-season sire Ole Kirk (Written Tycoon), produced an eye-catching trial at Rosehill on Monday, winning one of the five juvenile heats of the morning.
Trained by Bjorn Baker, the gelding looked comfortable for the duration of the 900-metre heat, eventually coming away to beat $1.3 million purchase Condone (Justify) by 2.5 lengths. Regulated Affair (Wootton Bassett) came home a further 0.4 lengths away in third.
Bought for $160,000 by Alter Bridge Equine at the Inglis Australian Weanling Sale in 2023, Tiberius then failed to make his reserve when offered through the Glenbeigh Farm draft at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale the following year.
Emirates Park will offer a Captivant (Capitalist) half-brother to Tiberius at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale who is catalogued as Lot 175. Coolmore will also offer a So You Think (High Chaparral) half-sister to Condone as Lot 418.
Ole Kirk has made a brilliant start with his first runners and with six winners, including two individual stakes scores, the Vinery stallion is the leading first-season sire by winners and earnings.
Bjorn Baker was represented by another winner in the shape of the unraced Sponars, a colt by Yulong’s first-season sire Lucky Vega (Lope De Vega), who defeated the James Cummings-trained Cenotaph (Lonhro) by 2.4 lengths.
In the following trial, Barking Mad, a colt by Wootton Bassett (Iffraaj), proved too strong for his rivals, scoring a 0.1-length win over Akaysha (Capitalist). Sequista (D’Argento) came home a further 0.9 lengths away in third.
Barking Mad was bought by Chris Waller and Guy Mulcaster for $625,000 from the draft of Coolmore Stud at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. He is the second foal out of the Group 1-winning I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit) mare Invincibella.
Coolmore are set to offer a Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice) half-sister to Barking Mad at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale next month. The filly is catalogued as Lot 417.
Last-start Newcastle maiden winner Mednyi (Capitalist) scored a trial win when he defeated the Chris Waller-trained Ernaux (I Am Invincible), the second foal out of Group 1-winning Written Tycoon (Iglesia) mare Booker, who was bought John Stewart of Resolute Racing from the Coolmore Stud draft for $3 million at last year’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
Trained by Anthony and Sam Freedman, Mednyi’s I Am Invincible half-brother will be offered as Lot 51 by Emirates Park at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale on April 6.
The Peter Snowden-trained Telling (Graff), who has been seen in competitive action on two occasions also landed his 1030-metre barrier trial on Monday.