Veight Gets His Group One in the Ryder Stakes

Mark Smith - Saturday March 23

Runner-up in the Caulfield Guineas and Australian Guineas, Veight put a well-deserved Group 1 win on the board in Saturday's The Agency George Ryder Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill.

Veight toughs it out (image Steve Hart)

Given a gun ride by Damian Lane, the Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained son of Grunt settled down to dogfight with the in-form Overshre mare Lady Laguna to win by a short-head.

The 3-year-old Dundeel colt  Militarize was a length back in third.

With his Group 1 breakthrough, Veight advances his record to five wins and two seconds from nine starts with earnings of $2,017,740.

"What a star, Tony McEvoy enthused.

"His racing style helps a lot. He begins well and Damian (Lane) 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.

A Damian Lane special (image Steve Hart)

"Wayne Mitchell, who's been my biggest supporter, owns most of this horse, and I'm so pleased to win one of these for him.

"To have three runners on Slipper day, this is why we do it. Not everyone gets an opportunity to do this and we're just so blessed and proud of what we're doing, and enjoying winning.

"He had been running so well at this level and the mile has just been seeing him out.

"The 1500m today was perfect and Damian was superb on him. We didn't need it to be 1501m, but I'm so proud of the horse and so pleased for the horse.

Advertisement

"I think there's a $10 million one (1500m race) here in the spring." (Golden Eagle).

"He had a profile before today that he was an elite level horse and now he's got one on his resume.

"He's a very good horse and has always been a good horse all the way through for us. These races are hard to win. His racing style and his manners go a long way and I'm very, very happy that he's finally won one.

"The only race left is the All-Aged, but he's had a big campaign. We've had a couple of Grand Finals this campaign already. I think it's probably enough now, but we'll enjoy the moment and make those decisions tomorrow."

Veight a $220,000 Inglis Classic yearling

Veight was a $220,000 Inglis Classic purchase for McEvoy Mitchell Racing / Belmont Bloodstock from the Sledmere Stud draft after he had been pinhooked as a weanling by Sledmere Stud/Cangon for $100,000 from Yulong at the Magic Millions National Weanling Sale.

He is the second winner from three to race for the Fastnet Rock mare Neena Rock, the winner of the Group III WRC Cuddle Stakes (1600m) in New Zealand and the Group III Angst Stakes (1600m) at Randwick.

Yulong purchased Neena Rock for $500,000 at the 2015 Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale.

She is one of eight winners left by the Miesque's Son (USA) mare  Feminine Wiles (USA), a half-sister to the top-class racehorse and outstanding broodmare sire Quiet American (USA).

The daughter of Fastnet Rock has a 2-year-old sister to Veight named Rock Pop in the McEvoy stable.

After foaling a Tagaloa colt in November, Neena Rock was bred back to Grunt.

The first Group 1 winner for his sire, Veight, comes from the first crop of Yulong Stud's Group 1 VRC Australian Guineas and Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes hero Grunt (O'Reilly).

Advertisment

Race Result - The Agency George Ryder Stakes Gr1 1500m

Rosehill Track: Good(4) Time: 1:28.09
1
Veight
- 3c Grunt (NZ) x Neena Rock (AUS) (Fastnet Rock (AUS))
Tnr: T & C McEvoy Rdr: Damian Lane 56
2
0.2
Lady Laguna
- 4m Overshare (AUS) x Catalina De Lago (NZ) (Encosta De Lago (AUS))
Tnr: Annabel Neasham Rdr: Tyler Schiller 57
3
1.1
Militarize
- 3c Dundeel (NZ) x Amerindia (GB) (Dubawi (IRE))
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: J B Mc Donald 56
4
1.9
Golden Mile
- 4h Astern (AUS) x Calaverite (AUS) (Lonhro (AUS))
Tnr: James Cummings Rdr: Tommy Berry 59
5
2.1
Think About It
- 5g So You Think (NZ) x Tiare (AUS) (Flying Spur (AUS))
Tnr: Joseph Pride Rdr: S Clipperton 59
6
2.8
Encap
- 3g Capitalist (AUS) x Enquare (AUS) (Stratum (AUS))
Tnr: G Portelli Rdr: B Shinn 56
7
3.5
Pericles
- 4g Street Boss (USA) x Accessories (GB) (Singspiel (IRE))
Tnr: James Cummings Rdr: J Bowman 59
8
4.3
Tiz Invincible
- 3f I Am Invincible (AUS) x Amuletum (GB) (New Approach (IRE))
Tnr: C Maher Rdr: Zac Lloyd 54
9
4.6
Amenable
- 4g Lonhro (AUS) x Carribean Sunset (IRE) (Danehill Dancer (IRE))
Tnr: M Price & M Kent Jnr Rdr: M Zahra 59
10
5.5
Bandersnatch
- 7g Casino Prince (AUS) x Divine Faith (AUS) (Falbrav (IRE))
Tnr: M, W & J Hawkes Rdr: Jordan Childs 59
11
5.6
Kovalica
- 4g Ocean Park (NZ) x Vitesse (NZ) (Makfi (GB))
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: N Rawiller 59
12
5.7
Cepheus
- 7g Sea The Stars (IRE) x Crimson Cheer (USA) (Van Nistelrooy (USA))
Tnr: M J Dunn Rdr: A Hyeronimus 59
13
6.1
Navajo Peak
- 5g Territories (IRE) x Ship Rock (AUS) (Authorized (IRE))
Tnr: David Payne Rdr: K Mc Evoy 59
14
6.3
New Energy
- 5g New Bay (GB) x For Joy (GB) (Singspiel (IRE))
Tnr: C Maher Rdr: J R Collett 59
15
6.3
Loch Eagle
- 5g Lonhro (AUS) x Song Street (IRE) (Shamardal (USA))
Tnr: K A Lees Rdr: Dylan Gibbons 59
16
6.4
Unspoken
- 5g Territories (IRE) x Silent Secret (IRE) (Dubai Destination (USA))
Tnr: P & P Snowden Rdr: Tom Sherry 59
17
7.2
Cosmic Vega
- 6g Lope De Vega (IRE) x Pivotal Era (GB) (Pivotal (GB))
Tnr: C Maher Rdr: Jamie Kah 59
18
10
Mighty Ulysses
- 5g Ulysses (IRE) x Token Of Love (GB) (Cape Cross (IRE))
Tnr: Annabel Neasham Rdr: T Marquand 59
More Reading...
Million Dollar Goal for I Am Invincible Filly
Tony and Calvin McEvoy landed a lucrative victory in the $1million Magic Millions National 2YO Classic in May last year with Arabian Summer and are hopeful they have another filly that can do the job this year in Sisstainable.
Sires With Winners - Wednesday May 7
Here is the full list of 44 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Best On Breeding
A competitive field of three-year-olds contest Saturday’s McNeill Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield with the age-old dilemma of those with a run or two under the belt against those returning from a winter’s break.
Queensland Calling for Exciting Wootton Bassett Colt
Champion trainer Chris Waller is renowned for producing talented back season juveniles that blossom into stakes performers and we saw one at Warwick Farm on Wednesday when heavily backed Wootton Bassett (GB) colt Regulated Affair opened his account.
First Win for Sword of State Half-Sister
Well-related filly Paravane broke through for her maiden win in pleasing fashion at Ellerslie on Wednesday when taking out the Join TAB Racing Club 1200 in the hands of senior hoop Vinnie Colgan.
First Winner for Grunt
Yulong based Grunt posted his first winner at Pakenham on Thursday night and he did it in style with Veight bolting in to win by six lengths.
Veight Makes a Statement in McNeill
Exciting three-year-old Veight looks on target for a big spring after making light of his stakes penalty in the Group III HDF McNeil Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield.
So You Think Filly Shows Oaks Potential
The Bjorn Baker stable has been on fire this year and it’s full steam ahead to Queensland for talented So You Think filly Dame Commander, who beat older rivals at Warwick Farm on Wednesday.
Records Tumble at Huge Australian Weanling Sale
The most successful Inglis Australian Weanling Sale in history concluded at Riverside today with a record individual top price of $775,000 paid for a colt by Too Darn Hot (GB), a record gross and record average.
Rising Stars - Metro 2YO Double for Wootton Bassett
Coolmore shuttler Wootton Bassett (GB) unleashed not one but two exciting juveniles at Warwick Farm on Wednesday with the opening race going to the colt Regulated Affair and shortly after it was the turn of the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained filly Agarwood.