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.

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"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).

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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
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