Hawaii Five Oh is an exciting newcomer to Vinery Stud’s seven-strong roster and breeders will be pleased to know that there have been no service fee increases to the line-up this year.

“With breeders in mind, we have held our fees to the same level this year” said Vinery’s General Manager Peter Orton. “We believe our stallions are of a very high quality, while also representing fantastic value and give breeders the best possible chance on a return on their investment.”

HAWAII FIVE OH is a dual Group 3 winning son of two-time Australian Champion sire I Am Invincible and is a stallion with a point of difference in his female family, with his first five dams all being Stakes winners. This begins with his Group 1 winning mother Aloha, who won the 2011 edition of the ATC Coolmore Classic before embarking on a successful career as a producer.

Hawaii Five Oh is the only stallion at stud in Australia with the distinction of having all his first five dams as black type winners and Vinery’s General Manager points to depth of pedigree as something the Stud constantly strives for in its stallions. “It’s so important to us and Hawaii Five Oh was a superior athlete as well as being a spectacular-looking horse,” Orton said. “He’s good-sized and well-balanced with perfect conformation.”

Hawaii Five Oh (I Am Invincible) will stand for an introductory fee of $16,500 and he joins an up and coming roster with Group 1 winning stallions Ole Kirk and Exceedance on the cusp of successful stud careers at Vinery.

OLE KIRK (Written Tycoon) was the talking horse this year amongst the young stallions with first crop yearlings sold in 2024. Demand for his stock at the major yearling sales began instantly with a filly selling for $1million at the Magic Millions to the bid of Robbie Griffiths and Mathew de Kock. Other notable stables including Hawkes Racing, Waterhouse/Bott, Ciaron Maher, Peter Moody, Chris Waller, Annabel Neasham, Tony Gollan, Price/Kent, Ryan/Alexiou, Bjorn Baker, Kris Lees and Tony McEvoy also secured yearlings by Ole Kirk.

A dual Group 1 winner on the track who was crowned Champion three-year-old of his year, Ole Kirk offers breeders a complete outcross to Danehill blood. An exciting young stallion with strong commercial appeal, his fee will remain unchanged at $55,000. 

ALL TOO HARD (Casino Prince) continues to demonstrate what a value proven source of top-class racehorses he is, having already produced elite level horses such as multiple Group 1 winners Alligator Blood, Forbidden Love, Behemoth and Champion Sprinter Wellington.

A prolific winner getter, All Too Hard has finished in the Top Ten stallions in the country by individual winners in every season since 2019. He has now amassed 24 Stakes winners with progeny earnings of over $91million, giving him average earnings of over $128,000 per runner.

The strong success his progeny have enjoyed across Australasia has resulted in a higher demand for his stock in the marketplace, where his yearlings have sold up to ten times his service fee both this year and last.

All Too Hard will remain at $38,500 this season.

EXCEEDANCE (Exceed And Excel) is a former winner of the Group 1 VRC Coolmore Stud Stakes, a race with such a rich history of producing top class stallions. Exceedance’s early first crop two-year-old success this season is a strong indicator that he too is set for a successful career at stud.

The Tony and Calvin McEvoy trained dual Group 3 winner Dublin Down is amongst four early winners for this young sire during the current season. Sandown winner Flyer is another to have already tasted victory and is set to feature in the Group 3 SAJC Breeders Stakes this weekend.

His quick start as a young proven stallion has brought strong attention to his progeny at this year’s yearling sales and his second crop sold to high of $520,000 at the Sydney Easter sale recently.

Exceedance remains at $33,000 for 2024.

STAR TURN (Star Witness) has one of the highest strike rates for any proven stallion at stud at a very high 74.2% winners to runners. He started the season by breaking the 2yo Southern Hemisphere sale record when the colt from Commonwealth sold to $825,000 at the NZB Ready to Run Sale.

With Group 1 winner Startantes among 13 Stakes horses from his first crop, the progeny of this young stallion are destined to feature more at Stakes level in the future with his two largest crops to-date currently two-year-olds and yearlings.

Star Turn will stand for $27,500 again this season and is another of our proven sires who traded strongly at the yearling sales this year, selling to a high of $360,000.

HEADWATER (Exceed And Excel) enters the last quarter of the season with the potential of gaining another title as he is currently a joint leader on the Australian 2YO Winners. He claimed the Australian First Season sire winners premiership in 2019-20 and was Champion Australian Second Season sire in 2020-21.

He joined Too Darn Hot (GB) at the top of the Australian 2YO winners table with eight winners when Furrina scored a front-running victory at Bendigo this month. His large group of juvenile victors is headed by Listed SAJC Without Fear Stakes winner Pure Aqua.

Headwater will stand for $9,900 this season.

CASINO PRINCE (Flying Spur) welcomed in the New Year when Casino Seventeen won the $1million Perth Cup (Gr.2, 2400m) at Ascot in January and since then three other Stakes horses and 46 winners have joined the winners circle for their sire this season. 

When it comes to breeding to race there are no better value stallions than Casino Prince, who has a staggering 70% winners to runners strike rate and he will remain at a $5,500 service fee.

Star Turn broke the Southern Hemisphere 2YO Sale record at Karaka on Thursday when his colt from Commonwealth (Lot 376) was knocked down to Benno and Samantha Yung, who purchased him on behalf of Mr Pato Leung for $825,000. Earlier on Day 2, All Too Hard’s gelding out of Tuscany Lady (Lot 289) topped the shopping list of Mr Yeung Kin Man at $800,000.

The Vinery duo were the pick of 70 lots purchased by Hong Kong visitors who led the buying-bench from the Australians (60 lots). ”I’m gobsmacked.  I’ve never seen so many Hong Kong owners and trainers here,” NZB’s Managing Director Andrew Seabrook said. ”They’ve made a huge difference.”

The Star Turn colt was offered by Kit Brooks of KB Bloodstock who was amazed at the $825,000 price tag. ”He’s a nice horse but you couldn’t dream of that sort of result. I’ve always liked him and he clocked a very fast breeze up (10.24s) but as the bids kept coming in, I almost couldn’t watch.”

The excitement in the ring was palpable from the moment the Commonwealth colt walked in. There were only two Star Turns in the sale and auctioneer Steve Davis was quick to highlight his credentials;

“The stats on the stallion are staggering! Three crops of racing age, 75% winners to runners. That’s up there, that’s right up there!” - Steve Davis

“We’ve looked at a lot of good horses at the sale today (Thursday), and the Star Turn really stood out to us. He’s a really nice mover and has a very strong build. He has a great temperament from what we’ve seen so far. Star Turn has been doing well in Hong Kong, and that’s another reason why we were interested in buying this horse.” - Samantha Yung

The $800,000 All Too Hard – Tuscany Lady gelding, whose dam is by Vinery stalwart Mossman, was purchased by leading Hong Kong agent Willie Leung from the Riversley Park draft. “It’s my first time at Karaka. There’s lots of atmosphere and it’s obviously a good place to secure the right horses,” Leung said. “This gelding is a real athlete and Mr Yeung Kin Man is looking for another precocious sprinter like Wellington.”

“All Too Hard is a very consistent and useful sire in Hong Kong, and the Group 1 winner Wellington has performed really well on grass and synthetic so he suits Hong Kong. This one looks really athletic and a precocious type, and so hopefully we can get him going to Hong Kong early next season.” - Willie Leung

“All Too Hard is fashionable in Hong Kong and their buyers have dominated the top-end of the market here. They’re looking for speed and this one was the quickest to breeze up (10.34s) at Te Rapa.” - Sam Beatson, Riversley Park

Read more here.

Champion Group 1 sprinter-miler Ole Kirk will head Vinery Stud’s roster at a $55,000 (inc GST) service fee in 2022.
 
Vinery Bloodstock Manager Adam White said it’s an exciting time with Ole Kirk and Exceedance on the threshold of their stud careers alongside proven Group 1 stallion All Too Hard and rising stars like Headwater and Star Turn.
 
“It’s a young roster and we’re very happy with the line-up. The yearling sales produced more positive results for our sires and prizemoney increases continue to keep the industry buoyant. The interest we’ve received points to another good season but we’re mindful of breeders and have tried to keep our fees reasonable.”
 
With that in mind, Vinery is looking to the future with a roster tailor-made for every broodmare owner. 

Ole Kirk (Written Tycoon) covered his first book of 170 quality mares last year, following a career that saw him rewrite the record books and propel Written Tycoon to Australian Champion Sire honours in 2020-21.
 
“He’s an exciting stallion prospect and provides a vital outcross to mares from the Danehill sireline,” White said. “He was certainly the best colt of his generation, and being such a good match for so many mares gives him the best opportunity.” 
 
Ole Kirk was trained by Team Hawkes to win the Talindert Stakes (LR, 1100m) at Flemington as an autumn 2YO and he returned to win Group 1 Golden Rose (1400m) in Sydney and Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) in Melbourne as a spring 3YO. The only other horse to completed that double since the inaugural Golden Rose was The Autumn Sun in 2018.
 
Ole Kirk was named Champion 3YO Horse of the Year in 2020-21 and his dam Naturale (Bel Esprit) adds another dimension being that she’s a full-sister to our best-ever sprinter, Black Caviar. Their breeder Rick Jamieson put his Group 2 winning mare La Passe (Street Sense) at the front of the queue for an Ole Kirk cover last year.  
 
“I’m confident Ole Kirk will play a major role at Vinery,” Jamieson said. “I predict he’ll be a great speed stallion of the future.”
 

All Too Hard is arguably the best value for money sire in the Hunter Valley at $38,500 (inc GST).
 
A relatively small increase in his fee this year only goes some way to equal his elevation into the Australian Top 10 tables for prizemoney and winners. “I tell breeders All Too Hard is the sort of stallion that can set your young mare up for the future,” White explained. “He has sired three Group 1 winners this season – Behemoth and Forbidden Love here and Wellington in Hong Kong.”
 
His success in Hong Kong has been remarkable and Wellington, who is widely touted as Hong Kong’s best sprinter, can go back-to-back in the Group 1 Chairmans Chairman’s Sprint Prize this Sunday.
 
All Too Hard’s overall statistics are nothing short of sensational with just five full-crops racing. His 22 individual Stakes winners headline a record of 100 individual winners in each of the last four seasons. Only four other active horses have managed this; I Am Invincible, Snitzel, Written Tycoon and So You Think. 
 
That’s been reflected in 2022 with his yearlings selling to $320,000 off a 94% clearance-rate at the five majors (Gold Coast Magic Millions, Inglis Sydney Classic, Inglis Melbourne Premier, NZB Karaka 1 and Inglis Sydney Easter).

Explosive sprinter Exceedance remains unchanged at a $33,000 (inc GST) fee this year after being fully subscribed with an average of 148 mares in his first two books.
 
A son of breed-shaping sire Exceed And Excel, he accelerated to score devastating victories over Bivouac in the San Domenico Stakes Gr.3 at Rosehill and the stallion-making Coolmore Stud Stakes Gr.1 at Flemington.
 
His first foals received widespread praise so it’s no surprise that there’s a lot of anticipation surrounding his first weanlings, who will head to the upcoming sales at the end of the month. 
 
“His first foals are athletes with scope, strength and substance,” White reported. “We’ve been really impressed and the feedback from our clients has been terrific.”
 
“We sent seven mares to Exceedance and the filly from Miss Toorak Toff is as good a foal as you could want.  His filly out of our ‘Vinnie’ mare Bim Bam Boom looks a very sharp type, too.”  Ryan McEvoy / Rosemont Stud

“We’re very happy with the colt from Awesome Planet. The mare’s not overly big but Exceedance has put some size into him.” David Morrissey / Cannon Hayes Stud

“Exceedance is a big chance at stud when he leaves foals like our filly from Lovetorn. She’s all quality with a fantastic action.”  John Kenneally / Erinvale Thoroughbreds

There’s just no stopping Star Turn.  With just two crop racing, he’s firing in every jurisdiction with 8 Stakes performers around Australia and New Zealand.
 
A brilliant Group-winning sprinter himself, Star Turn has sired Stakes winners the calibre of Miss Hipstar and Me Me Lagarde while Startantes can make amends for a narrow Group 1 loss at Randwick earlier this year at the upcoming Brisbane winter carnival in the Stradbroke Hcp and Tatt’s Tiara.
 
Star Turn’s Group 3 NZ filly La Bella Beals is also booked for a flight to Brisbane following her brilliant first-up victory last month. His Hong Kong expat Cordyceps Six is ready for a rise into black-type company on the back of a 50% winning strike-rate in 10 starts. “I think he’s one of the best three-year-olds we’ve seen in several years,” trainer Richard Gibson claimed. “He shows a lot of class and has a very good future.”
 
Star Turn had the highest 2YO winning strike-rate of all Australian sires in 2020-21 at better than 46%. That was 11% higher than Snitzel and 17% higher than I Am Invincible!
 
“His first-season figures were amazing and he’s backing it up this season,” White said. “His clearance rate at the major sales this year was 94% and they averaged over six-times his current service fee.”

Headwater made an immediate impact at stud when he was Australia’s Champion First Season Sire by winners in 2019-20 and Australia’s Champion Second Season Sire by earnings in 2020-21.
 
Now with his third crop racing he is again the leading active sire by winners in his cohort. His ability to consistently get a high-volume of winners has also transferred into his ability to produce high-class Stakes winners like Jamaea, Wisdom Of Water, Mileva and Starlight in Singapore.
 
From his first two crops there have been 86 individual winners of 171 races to date, which stands up against any of his Australian-based contemporaries who retired in 2016. That was reflected at the major yearling sales this year where he achieved a 100% clearance rate at an average of $101,000. 
 
Headwater blends “Speed on Speed” as a son of Exceed And Excel and Group 1 Oakleigh Plate winner River Dove.  Befitting that pedigree, he won a Group 2 Silver Slipper Stakes at two and trained on at three to defeat older horses in a Stakes sprint down the straight-six at Flemington.
 
Headwater has averaged over 140 mares per book since retiring to stud and those numbers have set up a successful career for the phenomenal looking bay at Vinery. 

Underrated sire Press Statement comes in under the radar at an $8,800 (inc GST) fee this season.
 
An undefeated Group 1 winner at two who returned to capture the time-honoured Group 1 Caulfield Guineas at three, he sired 15 individual winners in the month leading up to Easter to go Top 5 among Australia’s third crop stallions in the winners and wins categories.
 
Press Statement’s domestic Stakes winners include Equation (Canberra Guineas LR) and Incredulous Dream (Nitschke Stakes LR) while his off-shore stock are headed by South African Group 2 winner Kitty Cat Chat and Hong Kong winners Free Foal, Steel Win, Hurry Hurry Gain and Packing Famous.
 
He’s a son of the ill-fated Champion Australian First Season sire Hinchinbrook and is a half-brother to Group 1 winner Pressday and the dam of Sydney Group performer Maurice’s Medad.

Vinery stalwart Casino Prince stands for a $5,500 (inc GST) fee and they don’t come much better for owner-breeders looking for value this season.
 
Casino Prince has sired 21 individual Stakes winners topped by Vinery Champion All Too Hard and his overall winners-to-runners is bubbling just under a sky-high strike-rate of 70%. 

His average earnings per starter is over $93,000 (over 18x his fee) and he’s siring multiple winners of the popular Highway and Midway Handicaps in Sydney.
 
2022 VINERY ROSTER
OLE KIRK                       $55,000 
ALL TOO HARD             $38,500
EXCEEDANCE                $33,000
STAR TURN                    $27,500
HEADWATER                  $16,500
PRESS STATEMENT      $8,800 
CASINO PRINCE             $5,500 

Payment on live foal. 
All fees include GST.