Much missed champion New Zealand sire O’Reilly has an exciting young sire son in Australia in Kiwi bred Grunt, who has three entries for the just released 2023 NZB Ready to Run Sale including one bred on similar lines to his Group III MRC McNeil Stakes winner Veight.
From a small number of runners so far that have just turned three, dual Group I winner Grunt is showing some real promise with his star performer Veight winning the Group II VRC Sires Produce Stakes last season for Tony and Calvin McEvoy.
Veight returned from a winter spell in great shape to score a dominant first up win at Caulfield last Saturday and is not the only colt by Grunt with spring aspirations.
The Griffiths / De Kock trained Akicita won easily on debut at Pakenham last month and then missed narrowly at Sandown on Wednesday afternoon when he drifted wide when making his run from last. He was worried out of the win on the line by persistent Written Tycoon colt Southport Tycoon, who was also coming off a debut win.
They gapped the rest of the field and both colts will be heading towards Black Type.
Grunt has three entries for the Ready to Run including Lot 89, a gelding from Kings Brook offered by Kiltannon Stables and bred along similar lines to Veight, who is from a daughter of Fastnet Rock.
This quality gelding is from good Melbourne metro winning mare Kings Brook, who is by Fastnet Rock’s Group I producing sire son Hinchinbrook. Champion sires Fastnet Rock and O’Reilly combine in the pedigrees of nine stakes-winners including Group I winners Never Been Kissed and Romancing the Moon.
The other two entries for Grunt as are as follows:
Lot 81 Gelding from Just a Mo offered by Phoenix Park.
Lot 286 Gelding from Truffle offered by Riversley Park.
The 2023 edition of the Sale will take place at the Karaka Sales Centre from 11am (NZT) on 22 & 23 November with Breeze Ups to be held at Te Rapa Racecourse on 16 & 17 October. Click here for the full catalogue.
