News

Group 1 aims for Samaready and Va Pensiero in the spring

31st Aug 2013

The connections of Inglis graduates Samaready and Va Pensiero (pictured) are set to aim higher at Group 1 events during the upcoming spring following victories at Group 3 level in Melbourne and Sydney respectively on Saturday.

Samaready ($150,000 2011 Easter, 4m More Than Ready-Samar) returned from a 54 week injury forced break in outstanding fashion at Caulfield, running away to a tremendous victory in the Group 3 MRC TheShark.com.au Stakes over 1100m.

The 2012 Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes winner was turned out a treat by trainer Mick Price and the now four-year-old mare put the writing on the wall for a big spring carnival, defeating a quality field of sprinters. The Darley pair of Chiaramonte and Anise filled the placings.

“Horses like this don’t come along too often,” jockey Craig Newitt said.

“I thought she would do a clean sweep of the three-year-old fillies races, but we never got to get her there. Hopefully, this time in if she can stay sound and cope with the workload, she might not only be a sprinter,” Newitt said.

Mick Price is glad to have Samaready back and is keen to aim higher during the Melbourne Spring Carnival, indicating that the Group 2 McEwen Stakes (1000m) and Group 1 Moir Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley next month are the short term goals for the daughter of More Than Ready.

“The fact that she is able to withstand race day pressure is a big relief. That’s the first time in a long time that she’s hit the line as I’ve been too scared to work her too hard,” said Price.

“It’s onwards and upwards from here now that we know that she can handle race day pressure. She is a Group 1 winner, I’d love to think we could end up in those races [McEwen and Moir],” Price revealed.

Bred by Gerry Harvey, Samaready was sold by Vinery Stud at the 2011 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale for $150,000 to Belmont Bloodstock on behalf of her owners; Vinery Stud (Mgr: P Orton), Greenwich Stud (Mgr: G Perry), Echo Beach Bloodstock (Mgr: A Green), Newstead (Mgr: N Gibson) and Encompass Bloodstock (Mgr: S McCann).

Samaready’s impressive race record sits at seven starts for five wins and one placing, with prizemoney of $1,312,300.

Va Pensiero (P$35,000 2012 Classic, 3c Stratum-Rosmarino then proved himself one of the top three-year-olds in Sydney with an all the way victory in the Group 3 ATC Run To the Rose over 1200m at Rosehill.

The Jason Coyle trained galloper was coming off a victory in the Group 3 ATC San Domenico Stakes (1100m) but was overlooked by punters, who sent him out at 30-1.

Jockey Nathan Berry ensured that the connections of Va Pensiero had the last laugh as the three-year-old colt led all the way from his wide barrier to claim the day’s feature event in Sydney. Dissident was second with $250,000 Inglis Classic winner Marseille Roulette back in third.

"He was great today. He had to work hard to get across, so they didn’t give it to him. He’s a very good colt and has always been up against the good ones since day dot,” Jason Coyle pointed out.

Coyle hinted at starts in the Group 1 ATC Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) or Group 1 VRC Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) as options for Va Pensiero.

"We’ll take him home, see how he pulls up and talk to the owners,” Jason said.

Va Pensiero was offered from the draft of Brooklyn Lodge at the 2012 Inglis Sydney Classic Yearling Sale. After passing-in short of his $40,000 reserve breeders Barry Collins, L D Jacobson and G S Banks decided to race the colt.

The son of Stratum has had seven starts for three wins and one placing for $240,350 in prizemoney.

Va Pensiero’s sire Stratum and Samaready’s sire More Than Ready are both represented in the catalogue of the 2013 Inglis Sydney Ready 2 Race Sale, which will be conducted at Newmarket on 3 October.

Fasnet Rock, the sire of Group 1 MRC Memsie Stakes winner Atlantic Jewel and Group 3 MRC HDF McNeil Stakes winner Fast N Rocking, is represented by two lots in the quality sale.

The 195 lot catalogue for the Sydney Ready 2 Race Sale can be viewed online at www.inglis.com.au and on the Inglis Sales iPad App.

To request a hard-copy catalogue or a DVD of the Breeze-Ups when they are completed in mid-September please email reception@inglis.com.au or call +61 2 9399 7999.