Veight grabs a richly deserved Group 1 with fine George Ryder win
On a red letter day for Yulong Stud and their stallions, powerful three-year-old Veight became the first Group 1 winner for his second-season sire Grunt (O’Reilly) – and stamped his own future breeding career – by storming to victory in Saturday’s George Ryder Stakes (Gr 1, 1500m) at Rosehill.
Well ridden by Damian Lane, who found the one-one trail from barrier eight, Veight outperformed his 17 mostly older rivals in the weight-for-age feature, passing favourite Think About It (So You Think, $4.80) to hit the lead at the 200 metres and then refused to let the remarkable Lady Laguna (Overshare) by him in a tooth-and-nail finish, eventually prevailing by 0.2 lengths.
Militarize (Dundeel) took third, adding a second Group 1 placing to go with his three top-level wins, with Godolphin’s Golden Mile (Astern) edging Think About It out of fourth place.
A slightly easy $7 third favourite, Veight scored his breakthrough victory amid a Group 1 double-header for Yulong Stud stallions, who stand at Zhang Yuesheng’s Victorian farm which has ploughed countless millions into the racing and breeding scene in the past five years.
Their haul was highlighted by Lady Of Camelot winning their flag-bearing stallion Written Tycoon’s his second Golden Slipper.
Meanwhile, Via Sistina (Fastnet Rock) – the Irish Group 1 winner bought at Tattersalls December Mare Sale for 2.7 million guineas – carried the group’s renowned green and white silks to victory in her first Australian start in the Ranvet Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m). The operation also enjoyed a Listed win at Moonee Valley with their Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale purchase, Growing Empire.
Veight’s win in the $1 million George Ryder was worth far more than its purse, sealing his stud credentials following two top-tier seconds in Flemington’s Australian Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) at his previous start, and in last spring’s stallion-making Caulfield Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m).
Aside from those brave outings amongst his own age group, his fourth in Caulfield’s weight-for-age C.F. Orr Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) last month was superb, finishing 1.3 lengths behind two of the finest older horses in the country in Mr Brightside (Bullbars) and Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai).
Trainers Tony and Calvin McEvoy and long-term partner Wayne Mitchell combined with leading agent Damon Gabbedy of Belmont Bloodstock to buy Veight from Sledmere Stud’s draft for $220,000 at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale in 2022.
He’s now earned in excess of $2 million, secured the Group 1 so vital to a stud career, and joined an illustrious list of three-year-olds to win the Ryder including Pierro (Lonhro), Weekend Hussler (Hussonet), Haradasun (Fusaichi Pegasus) and Racing To Win (Encosta De Lago).
“He’s a very good horse and has always been a good horse all the way through for us and these are hard to win, these races,” Tony McEvoy said. “His racing style and his manners go a long way and I’m very, very happy that he’s finally won one [Group 1].
“What a star. His racing style helps a lot. He begins well and Damian has got so much confidence in him.
“He put him into the race and then he comes back and relaxes. He counted to 10, and it was so deserved.
“I’m so proud of the horse. And all my team, fabulous.
“For Wayne Mitchell, who’s been my biggest supporter, he owns most of this horse and I’m so pleased to win one of these for him.”
Veight also became the first Group 1 winner bought by Gabbedy and the McEvoys since the father-and-son training partnership formed in 2019.
“Unbelievable thrill, the thrill of a lifetime and to have him as my first [Group 1 win] with Tony and Calvin together just makes it even more unbelievably special,’’ Gabbedy said.
“We saw [Veight] in the Sledmere parade at the Classic Sale and he was an absolute stand-out from the moment he walked out of the box.
“He just oozed quality and class, he was out of a good running mare. We do ratings of the mares and she rated very well and Grunt was a well credentialed first season sire and even more importantly the colt was a good type.’’
Tony McEvoy added: “Damon is a very good judge and his knowledge and depth of pedigree is what it’s all about because that’s the knowledge I don’t have.
“I’m more about the athlete and the type of horse I want to buy. Damon is also a good handbrake for me because he knows what they’re valued at and he stops me when I should be stopped.”
McEvoy said after Veight had found 1600-metre trips slightly taxing in both his Guineas seconds, Rosehill’s signature shortened mile had proved ideal.
He is likely to now be spelled, with a mind to another – extremely lucrative – race over the same course in October, in the Golden Eagle (1500m), for four-year-olds.
“The 1500 metres is perfect for him. I think there’s a $10 million one here in the spring,” McEvoy said with a smile.
Lane, who was recording his 31st Group victory, was equally effusive in his praise for the colt.
“He’s never put in a poor performance in his career. He’s just a tough, honest horse. He jumps well, he gives himself the best chance and he’s just so genuine. When you really ask him to dig deep he does,” Lane said, paying tribute to Veight’s trainers.
“I was a little bit apprehensive taking on this race, so credit must go to Tony and Calvin for having the kahunas to have a go.
“He gets the all-important Group 1, he’s a colt, so he secures his future as a stallion and he’s just a great horse to be involved with.”
Veight was bought as a yearling after being pinhooked as a weanling by Sledmere Stud/Cangon for $100,000 from Yulong at the Magic Millions National Weanling Sale in 2021.
He is the second winner from three foals to race out of dual Group 3 winner Neena Rock (Fastnet Rock), who Yulong purchased for $500,000 at the 2015 Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale.
Neena Rock’s two-year-old sister to Veight, Rock Pop, is awaiting her first start for the McEvoy stable. The Yulong homebred has won her only barrier trial at Terang to date.
After foaling a colt by Yulong’s Tagaloa (Lord Kanaloa) in November, Neena Rock was sent back to Grunt.
The dual Group 1-winning Grunt, who may now gain a bump upwards from last spring’s $22,000 (inc GST) fee at Yulong, has two stakes-winners from 58 runners, and 16 winners overall, to sit fourth on the Australian second season sires’ table.
Lady Laguna, who’s had four wins capped by the Canterbury Stakes (Gr 1, 1300m) and three seconds in seven starts this campaign to take her earnings past $2.1 million, may now be set for the weight-for-age All Aged Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) on April 20.
“She has probably cemented herself as a Group 1 horse now,” said rider Tyler Schiller. “She has won one and run a close second. She has a terrific turn of foot. She has shown she can run at 1500 metres. I don’t know if it was as strong as her 1300-metre run but I think 1400 metres might be her pet distance. Hopefully the All Aged is her race.”
Jockey Sam Clipperton said Think About It – last year’s sprint sensation with two Group 1s and an Everest (1200m) – had been cost a better finish by being forced to travel wide from gate 16. His fifth placing followed his first-up second in the Canterbury Stakes when also favourite.
“I just needed to be in a spot straight away rather than continuing to flow up outside the leader. But he stuck to his task,” Clipperton said.