News - HEADWATER (AUS)
The annual Vinery Stud stallion parades last weekend are always a highlight on the Hunter Valley stud tour given their famed breakfast is the perfect way to start a long day of looking at horses and this year’s stallion roster is a ripper.
Quality four year old Headwater mare London's Image collected her third stakes victory when she unleashed a big finish to claim a determined last stride win over race favourite Talkanco in the Listed Pinjarra Classic 1300m on Sunday.
With less than a month to go for the current Australian racing season, the century club for stallions that have sired 100 winners since August 1 has expanded to include 14 stallions and there are two more knocking at the door and they represent amazing value.
He might be the least expensive sire on the Vinery roster this spring at a fee of just $6,600, but Headwater gets his share of winners and produced a new two year-old winner at Doomben on Wednesday.
Surprisingly contesting black type racing for the first time in his career, it was first time lucky for the Annabel and Rob Archibald trained Manhood after the 6yo son of Headwater was strong to the line, leading throughout to win the Listed Chief De Beers Stakes (1110m).
Bred by leading WA breeders Peters Investments, three year-old Headwater filly London’s Image was sold as a yearling at Magic Millions in Adelaide so does not race in the famous cerise and white, but she is still making her mark and won the $125,000 Listed Bunbury WA Breeders Classic (1200m) on Sunday.
With a plethora of racing all over Australia on Cup Day there were opportunities aplenty and Vinery Stud’s value sire Headwater made his mark with a new stakes-winner on Perth at Ascot where three year-old filly London’s Image captured the Listed WATC Burgess Queen Stakes (1400m).
Vinery Stud will be holding their annual breakfast stallion parades on the weekend of August 24 and 25 with seven stallions to parade each day from 9am.
Only six sires have produced 10 or more two year-old winners this season and Vinery Stud’s bargain priced Headwater is matching strides with the big guns in terms of ‘King of the Kids’.
The highest priced yearling by Headwater sold in 2023, fleet footed filly Glassout made a winning debut at Hawkesbury on Tuesday for the Brad Widdup stable.
There were five heats won by juveniles at the Warwick Farm trials on Monday morning and they included unraced youngsters by Justify (USA) and Headwater, plus the half-sister to stakes-winner Commemorative that looks to have come back well.
All eleven runners in Wednesday’s Ladbrokes Blackbook 2yo (1200m) at Doomben were winners, including five last-start winners, and the Headwater gelding Don’t Forget Jack put them to the sword.
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.
Vinery Stud’s Headwater has been a quiet achiever in the race for the number of two-year winners. When Furrina led at every call to break her maiden over 1100m at Bendigo on Sunday, she became the eighth two-year-old winner of the season for Headwater, equalling the leader Too Darn Hot (GB) and one ahead of Snitzel.
The Listed SAJC Without Fear Stakes (1050m) at Morphettville on Saturday produced a new stakes-winner Vinery Stud’s value sire Headwater with promising filly Pure Aqua casting off maiden status with a Black Type victory.
There was a short-priced favourite in the $50,000 Canberra Black Opal Preview (1000m) on Friday, but Capitalist colt Amazing Eagle came up short when beaten by the local home town hero Vella’s Best.
The lightly raced Headwater mare Aitch Two Oh returned to the winner's circle for the first time since the Group III Red Roses Stakes at Flemington in November 2022 when she dominated in the Listed Durbridge Stakes (1100m) at Morphettville on Saturday.
Unfortunate enough to meet the next start Group III winner, The Novelist, when on debut at Kembla Grange last December, Runwiththetide had been a model of consistency without winning at his following three starts. After being gelded, the son of Headwater emerged from a 23-week spell to break his maiden over 1100m at Randwick-Kensington on Wednesday.
Here is the full list of 70 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia on Sunday with winners and result details.
We had such a huge response to our story last week highlighting some great proven sires priced at $11,000 and below, we decided to up the ante slightly and find some more of these affordable sires that can help a budget conscious breeder get a dream result.